Fadnavis acknowledged that the BJP party does have a difference of opinion with Shiv Sena on many issues, but asserted that the alliance with Shiv Sena would happen over a common agenda.
A day after poll dates for municipal corporation elections in the state were announced, a meeting of BJP's senior party leadership was held in Thane on Wednesday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was at the meeting, said that if the BJP goes in for an alliance with Shiv Sena, it would be based on an agenda-sharing rather than seat-sharing basis.
BJPs karyakarini (State Executive Committee) meeting on Thursday at Thane's Tip Top Plaza was attended by Fadnavis, BJP state unit chief Raosaheb Danve, women and child welfare minister Pankaja Munde, water resource minister Girish Mahajan, Thane MLA Sanjay Kelkar, MP Kapil Patil from Bhiwandi, state education minister Vinod Tawade, revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, BJP's Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar, Kirit Somaiya, state food and civil supplies minister Girish Bapat and others.
Fadnavis acknowledged that the BJP party does have a difference of opinion with Shiv Sena on many issues, but asserted that the alliance with Shiv Sena would happen over a common agenda.
"Whenever the alliance happens, it will not be for power, but over agenda. We have decided our path, and our goal is to have a transparent Maharashtra where the common man's life is transformed for the better," said Fadnavis.
He asked party workers to continue their job and leave the decision of whether or not to enter into an alliance to the party's senior leaders. "The senior leaders in the party are engaged in talks over alliance and the workers should not worry about it," he said.
Fadnavis added that tickets would be given to those who work among the public. "The tickets will not go to the coterie surrounding the leaders but to faces actively involved in public welfare. The nominations will be based on two criterias - elective merit and party's interest," he said.
The Chief Minister also pitched the slogan of `One booth, 10 youth', implying that 10 youngsters would be assigned for each booth, who would actively campaign and get people to come out and vote.
Fadnavis also asked his workers to go cashless for campaign funding and expenses. "Even small transactions to the amount of Rs 2,000 should be done through electronic or cheque payment. The payments should be accepted by the party through cheques or electronic gateway, and this election should be transparent," he said.
Though there was talk among local BJP members of the party going solo in the Thane civic polls to test their strength, according to sources in BJP Thane, most party workers are in favour of an alliance with Shiv Sena.
Over the past few months, more than 10 Corporators from the NCP, Congress, and Shiv Sena have joined the BJP in Thane. "These people might be given tickets on the basis of elective merit," a source said.
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