Shiv Sena, BJP set aside their egos, agree for LS, assembly alliance

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and BJP president Amit Shah announcing the seat-sharing pact. They are flanked by Aaditya Thackeray, senior leader Manohar Joshi and CM Devendra Fadnavis

As expecTed, Hindutva and giving in to some of the Shiv Sena's demands saw the Bharatiya Janata Party seal a pre-poll alliance with its estranged ally for the April-May's Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections slated for winter this year in Maharashtra.

After Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis completed the framework of the arrangement last week, BJP president Amit Shah agreed to meet Sena president Uddhav Thackeray at his home, as the latter had demanded, to announce the pact. Shah spent 45 minutes with Thackeray and his son, Aaditya, before all three, accompanied by Fadnavis, declared a seat-sharing pact for the two polls at a hotel in Worli.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, BJP president Amit Shah and CM Devendra Fadanvis are all smiles while addressing the media on their pre-poll alliance at a Worli hotel on Monday. Pics/Ashish Raje

According to the announcements made on Monday, the BJP will contest 25 and the Sena 23 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The Sena has been given Palghar where the BJP has a sitting MP. As far as the Assembly's 288 seats are concerned, the arrangement appeared somewhat vague. Fadnavis told a joint press conference that the partners would first distribute seats to the smaller allies and equally divide the remaining seats. But, sources said this is where the catch is. The Sena is unwilling to part with any seat from its share - it has been demanding at least 144 - to any ally. The Sena wants BJP to take care of small parties that have been with the ruling party since 2014. In the current Lok Sabha, the Sena has 18 MPs and BJP 23.

One of the seats (Hatkanagale near Kolhapur) that Swambhimani Paksha had contested, is expected to go to the Sena because the farmers' party has quit the NDA. Thus, the Sena ends up getting more than its share in 2014.

BJP MP Poonam Mahjan and State Minister of Rural Development, Women and Child Welfare Pankaja Munde share a joke at the event

Sena still wants CM's post
As the Sena is more concerned about the Assembly elections than the Lok Sabha poll, because it wants the CM's post one way or the other, it has been demanding a share that will allow a better and bigger playing field. The Sena has demanded the 1995 formula in which the second largest party, the BJP, was given the deputy CM's post and the Sena, which had more numbers, got the CM's post. The BJP has agreed because of its confidence of getting larger numbers. The sharing of departments could be discussed later.

Senior Sena leader and former CM Manohar Joshi said getting a party worker the CM's post was the ultimate dream for the Sena. However, Thackeray did not say much about his party's aspirations, but underscored a demand that the responsibility should be shared equally by the alliance partners, if they came to power in Maharashtra. It may be noted that the Sena, which joined the government one month after the swearing-in of Fadnavis, was given less significant departments.

Ram temple
Thackeray thanked the BJP for fulfilling the conditions that the Sena had put forth before finalising the pact. He said the BJP government had taken a step ahead in building the Ram temple in Ayodhya as per the Sena's demand by transferring land to the temple trust.

"We have been together for these many years ever since a fight for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya brought us closer. People want us together even now and in the future because some thoughtless people have come together to oust us," said Thackeray.

He said he would respond to criticism that comes his way after forging an alliance with the BJP. "But let me tell you that there was no point in fighting over some misunderstanding. This is the new beginning for two of us and we will help the country grow. Today's the day for all Hindus to celebrate," said the Sena chief, who had declared repeatedly that his party would never join hands with the BJP.

He welcomed an assurance for a loan waiver benefit to the farmers whose claims were rejected, and a readiness to redress the complaints of farmers who were denied crop insurance claims. The BJP conceded to yet another demand by the Sena that seeks a property tax waiver in Mumbai for flats with an area of less than 500 sq ft.

Shah's 45
The BJP president made it a point to predict the alliance's win at 45 Lok Sabha seats - three more than 2014. "This is a happy moment because everybody had been wishing for the alliance. I must tell the party workers here that the Sena and Akali Dal are the BJP's oldest allies. We had some misunderstanding but we have buried the hatchet. We will ensure victory in 45 seats in Maharashtra and will again form the NDA government under Narendra Modi," he said. Shah, who has been the Sena's favourite whipping boy, did not forget to acknowledge Thackeray's 'big heart'.

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