MUMBAI: Amid the friction between BJP and Shiv Sena over sharing of seats for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, chief minister Ekanth Shinde on Monday staked claim to 18 seats within the Mahayuti alliance after meeting his party’s 13 MPs at Varsha, his official residence, at Malabar Hill .
It is, however, still not clear how many seats BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the other constituents in the ruling alliance, will contest in the Lok Sabha polls.
“Shiv Sena will claim 18 seats. A consensus was reached in the meeting of MPs. Candidates will start preparation for the 18 seats. A decision was also taken to form a special campaign committee for LS elections,” said a senior Sena functionary, who attended Monday’s meeting. “In 2019 LS elections, the undivided Shiv Sena had contested 22 seats and won 18. The party has given powers to the CM to decide the fate of the four seats that we had lost then.”
Last week, amid talk that BJP would spare Shiv Sena only 12 LS seats in the state, MP Gajanan Kirtikar had called it unacceptable. He had further said Sena must stand firm and take at least 18 seats. “Is BJP doing us a favour by giving 12 seats? BJP should discuss these things and decide,” the Mumbai North West MP had said.
Kirtikar had said it was expected that seniors from his party would hold discussions with him and others while deciding the stand on seat-sharing. He has also suggested that Shinde should ensure political stability for the 13 MPs who had joined him. Kirtikar had also made it clear that he was offering his personal opinion and did not know what party leader Shinde had to say on the matter. “In the 2019 LS election, the united Shiv Sena…won 18 seats. After Sena split, 13 of the 18 MPs went with Shinde. So five MPs are with Uddhav Thackeray. We should not accept this 32-12-4 (BJP-Sena-NCP) formula. We don’t have a plan B but we are firm on contesting 18 seats,” he had said.
It is, however, still not clear how many seats BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the other constituents in the ruling alliance, will contest in the Lok Sabha polls.
“Shiv Sena will claim 18 seats. A consensus was reached in the meeting of MPs. Candidates will start preparation for the 18 seats. A decision was also taken to form a special campaign committee for LS elections,” said a senior Sena functionary, who attended Monday’s meeting. “In 2019 LS elections, the undivided Shiv Sena had contested 22 seats and won 18. The party has given powers to the CM to decide the fate of the four seats that we had lost then.”
Last week, amid talk that BJP would spare Shiv Sena only 12 LS seats in the state, MP Gajanan Kirtikar had called it unacceptable. He had further said Sena must stand firm and take at least 18 seats. “Is BJP doing us a favour by giving 12 seats? BJP should discuss these things and decide,” the Mumbai North West MP had said.
Kirtikar had said it was expected that seniors from his party would hold discussions with him and others while deciding the stand on seat-sharing. He has also suggested that Shinde should ensure political stability for the 13 MPs who had joined him. Kirtikar had also made it clear that he was offering his personal opinion and did not know what party leader Shinde had to say on the matter. “In the 2019 LS election, the united Shiv Sena…won 18 seats. After Sena split, 13 of the 18 MPs went with Shinde. So five MPs are with Uddhav Thackeray. We should not accept this 32-12-4 (BJP-Sena-NCP) formula. We don’t have a plan B but we are firm on contesting 18 seats,” he had said.