Shiv Sena agrees to alliance with BJP for Maharashtra assembly polls but has two conditions

Shiv Sena, BJP's bitter ally in Maharashtra, has agreed to contest next Lok Sabha and Assembly elections together with the long-time partner but with riders. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has asked the BJP to conduct the state polls with 2019 general elections and wants to contest 155 of the 288 seats. 

BJP and Shiv Sena share power in both the state and the Central government. Earlier this year, Thackeray had announced that the party would contest upcoming elections alone. 

This comes amid the pressure on the BJP which recently suffered defeat in three states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh - at the hands of the Congress. 

In the current Maharashtra Assembly, the BJP has 121 seats while the Sena has 63. The combined strength of the BJP-Sena alliance in the Assembly is 184. 

While the Sena has agreed to give the BJP all seats where it won in 2013, it has demanded 85 of the 104 seats. 

According to sources, BJP has agreed to give 138 seats but wants 150 seats for itself. There is, however, no response on the demand to conduct Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections simultaneously. Elections for Maharashtra Legislative Assembly are slated for September-October 2019. The term of the Maharashtra assembly ends on November 9, 2019 while the term of current Parliament is only till June 3.

Earlier today, BJP president Amit Shah had said that talks were on with the Shiv Sena and he was hopeful that the two saffron parties would contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections together. 

BJP and Shiv Sena fought the parliamentary election together in 2014 and riding on the Modi wave won 41 seats with BJP winning 23 and Sena 18 seats. BJP's former ally Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana won one seat.

There is still no word from the Shiv Sena on its demand for the Lok Sabha polls.

Last month, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said the BJP and the Shiv Sena would stay united. Several BJP leaders have repeated claims that its alliance with Shiv Sena for Lok Sabha election is quite certain.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with 18 MPs of the party last month to know their views before making his party's stand clear. Party ministers and senior leaders have left it to party chief Udhav Thackeray's discretion to take a final decision on alliance with the BJP for the ensuing general elections.