Poll strategist Prashant Kishor is learnt to have given Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray some valuable advice, to break the 'to be or not to be' dilemma that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner faces, on joining hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the Lok Sabha polls. He met the Thackerays at their Kalanagar residence on Tuesday.

The Bihar seat-sharing formula between Janata Dal (United) - in which Kishor was drafted as vice-president six months ago - and the BJP, has been a trigger for the Sena to demand similar treatment. The BJP is understood to have offered the Sena 24 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, which according to Kishor, could get it good results, provided it enters a pre-poll alliance.