Mumbai: Alliance with BJP will cost Shiv Sena 100 seats

Uddhav Thackeray and Devendra FadnavisThe BJP which has been a minor partner to the Sena in the BMC is not willing to play second fiddle any longer because of its performance in the 2014 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls The BJP now wants more seats in Mumbai as it has more number of MLAs than the Sena in the city and it clearly does not want to settle for a number that will belittle its position The partys response comes shortly after Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackerays Dussehra speechSources privy to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis strategising for the civic polls told midday that the BJPs assessment was based on the CMs independent assessment through his own mechanism The polls are scheduled early February next yearBJP and Shiv Sena are currently the ruling allies in the BMC File picA senior BJP leader who is part of decisionmaking said that his party did not worry much about Senas challenge that the BJP should snap the alliance openly instead of backstabbing the Sena Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had dared his partys ally to this effect in his Dussehra rally speech earlier this week Thackerays statement made it clear that he wants our alliance to continue And it is equally true that we too dont want our ties in Mumbai to break But we would want a respectable deal in seats this time the leader saidMore MLAs more seatsInstalling its mayor in Mumbai is a paramount task for BJP and CM Fadnavis because the countrys richest civic body has been Senas forte for over two decades The BJP which has been a minor partner to the Sena in the BMC is not willing to play second fiddle any longer because of its performance in the 2014 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls BJP wants more seats in Mumbai because it has more MLAs than Sena in the city It does not want to settle for a number that will belittle its position100 seats no lessAccording to BJPs thinktank the party would not settle for anything less than 100 seats and it was prepared to give a few more seats than its share to the Sena We are no longer a kid brother to the Sena But we are willing to part with a few more seats say 5 or 6 than our share in the 227 said the leader whose opinion will be crucial in deciding the future of alliancemiddays October 12 reportBJPs confidence stems from various factors including its assessment that ethnic groups especially north Indians who have been favouring the Congress would not vote for it instead of the Sena Another BJP leader said that Sena and BJP would come together even after fighting separatelyIdeally there are strong chances that they would win seats beyond their expectations if they part ways But that would worsen relations between them and create difficulties in running the state government once the BMC polls are over he said Currently the BJP and the Sena are engaged in a fierce battle over alleged corruption in the BMC While the BJP holds the Sena responsible for all wrongdoings in the BMC the Sena too has questioned the BJP role as a partner in the civic bodyCM Uddhav charge up cadreIt is known in political circles that Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray share cordial relations They do damage control whenever any of their leaders create trouble by making unwarranted statements However the partners are supposedly making deliberate efforts to charge up their workers against each other primarily because the Congress and MNS do not have much ground left to pose a challenge in the civic polls