PM Narendra Modi will decide who will be alliance leader in Maharashtra

Maharashtra's oldest allies – Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – is yet undecided on seat-sharing. While the BJP demands 135 seats, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray says his party will contest 150 seats, nothing less. Maharashtra has 288 assembly seats. BJP national president Amit Shah has clarified that the party's campaign in the state will led by Devendra Fadnavis. In an interview with dna, Fadnavis says whatever the outcome of seat-sharing, the saffron alliance will continue and the grand alliance will fight the assembly polls united. However, Fadnavis made it clear that only Narendra Modi will decide who will be the leader of the grand alliance in Maharashtra, whether he is from the BJP or the Sena.

What's happening in the Mahayuti (grand alliance)? There is conflict between the two major saffron parties. Why have the two parties not released their list of candidates yet?

We have been in alliance for the past 25 years. We have been through thick and thin together since all these years. Seat-sharing is only one situation. Just because we are demanding 135 seats and the Sena is unwilling to grant them at the moment, we cannot snap ties. Our (saffron alliance) focus should be on winning more seats and not on who will become the chief minister. That can be decided after the results. We have a scientific survey with us and it clearly shows that if seats are fairly reshuffled, the saffron alliance can win maximum seats. We want to exchange few seats. There are 59 seats where the Sena has lost 3-4 times consecutively, and there are 16-17 seats, where the BJP has never won. If we can exchange these seats, we can be in a stronger position.