JP Nadda visit to clinch seat pact with Shiv Sena?

BJP working president JP Nadda will hold talks with state leadership over the seat-sharing with the Shiv Sena in the upcoming assembly elections in Mumbai.

According to BJP sources, Nadda will complete meetings with the state BJP leaders prior to Ganesh Visarjan. He will also hold talks with Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and will submit his report to BJP president Amit Shah who will take a final decision on the alliance. Sources said a final decision on seat-sharing is likely to emerge before Ganesh Visarjan.

As of now, there are a couple of seat-sharing formulas that are afloat which include 144:144, 135:135:18 or 160:110:18 seats. Shiv Sena is quite adamant on equal sharing of seats and CM’s post. On the other hand, BJP is not in a mood to accept 144:144 or 135:135:18 formula citing its increased strength across the state.

BJP’s recent survey said the party-led alliance will bag 229 out of 288 seats and that BJP on its own will win 160 seats. However, Sena does not want to take any chance and has already launched poll preparations in all 288 seats.