BJP readies list of 227 ministers for BMC polls

Mumbai: Though nothing has moved forward when it comes to the question of an alliance between the BJP and Shiv Sena, the former has already prepared its list of 227 candidates for the BMC elections. The Mumbai BJP has sent the list to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who will take a final call. Both parties contested the BMC polls in alliance in 2012.

A top BJP leader said that the party has prepared a list of 227 probable candidates for the BMC polls, in case the alliance does not work out. “We have sent the list to the chief minister, who will take a decision,” the leader said on condition of anonymity.

There has been no official reaction from Sena and BJP leaders on seat sharing. Meanwhile, the Sena is holding a state-level meeting on Wednesday, in which it has invited all the party executives. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will address the meeting, in which he is expected to reveal the party’s political standpoint to his partymen. The Sena chief might give hints to the BJP about the alliance. Uddhav had told the BJP earlier this year that whatever the decision regarding the alliance is, the same should not be kept pending till the last minute