BJP-Shiv Sena will stay together despite bitter seat battle

Though the Shiv Sena-BJP seat-sharing negotiations in Maharashtra have not made much progress, there is no reason to believe that the alliance will break on the issue. The hard negotiations are part of pre-election posturing. Neither the BJP nor the Shiv Sena will take such a drastic step and are likely to pull back from the brink right in time.

Why is the BJP demanding 135 seats?
The BJP has increased its demand from last time's 119 seats because it feels that the good show of the alliance in the general elections was due to the Modi factor and it is now time to cash the cheque. The BJP won 23 of 48 seats and Shiv Sena won 18. If the bypolls in UP, West Bengal and Gujarat on Tuesday give a resounding verdict in favour of the BJP, the party will not back down from its demand of 135 seats. Also BJP feels there is no need for it to be junior partner.

What does the Shiv Sena have to say?
The Shiv Sena believes it is still the major vote winner for the alliance. "I have openly said 135 seats is not possible...But I will not take any step which will break the yuti (alliance). This alliance has been forged on the basis of Hindutva by a generation like the Shiv Sena chief (late Bal Thackeray), Atalji, Advaniji. This was not for power but for a purpose and to ensure that like-thinking parties especially pro-Hindutva ones should stay together," Uddhav Thackeray said in Mumbai on Monday. The Sena won only 44 seats from the 169 it contested in the 2009 elections.

What are the other points of contention?
Uddhav Thackeray has made known his keenness to be chief minister. The BJP has its own plans of having its chief minister in this crucial state. Also the BJP's aim is to emerge as an equal if not a senior partner in the Mahayuti alliance after playing second fiddle for so long since 1989.

Are there any formulas yet to sort out the CM issue?
An informal BJP formula is that the party which gets the maximum seats should have the right to nominate the chief minister. Among the likely BJP aspirants for CM is Nitin Gadkari who ducked the question today when asked about it in Delhi saying: "Don't you like me being here (Delhi)?"

How many seats will the smaller partners get?
18 seats have been set apart for the smaller partners in the Mahayuti : Swabhimani Sanghatana, RPI (Athawale), Shivsangram Party and Rashtriya Samaj Paksh.