Shiv Sena, BJP’s 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.
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.
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.
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.
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