Deadlock over Shiv Sena-BJP continues as deadline ends

Mumbai: The deadlock over the alliance for the BMC polls between Shiv Sena and BJP continues despite Uddhav Thackeray’s party January 26 deadline. Both the sides have remained silent, refusing to speak to the media over the differences on seat sharing. The Sena is going to declare its stand in a programme on Thursday, which will be addressed by the party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

The sources from the Sena said that Uddhav Thackeray has always remained opened to forging an alliance with the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), but the BJP hasn’t responded positively. The source added, “The two parties did not discuss the seat-sharing at the meeting. Only the proposals were exchanged. If the Shiv Sena and BJP wanted to enter into an alliance, then they should have conducted a seat-wise review. The deadlock continues to persist despite several meetings .”  The Sena and BJP leaders held meetings thrice, but nothing concrete has come out from it. The Sena has offered 60 seats while BJP has demanded 114 seats for the upcoming BMC polls. Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have spoken to each other, but the deadlock still continues.

A BJP leader said that the party workers are in the mood to go solo. “Our strength in Mumbai has increased. We will win more seats if we go solo to the polls. But whenever we have entered into the alliance with Shiv Sena, BJP losses north Indian votes because of Sena’s anti-north Indian stand. Congress usually benefit from our alliance, and hence the workers want to go alone,” the leader said.

The BJP leader also added that the two parties also have an option of forming an alliance after the polls. “We can always come together post polls like we did in Kalyan-Dombivali civic polls. It will be a friendly fight between us,” he added.