BJP and Shiv Sena to offer 30-40 seats each to smaller allies in case of split

MUMBAI: So, what happens to the smaller parties in the Shiv Sena-BJP mahayuti if the two main constituents call off their grand alliance? Both Sena and BJP are desperately trying to lure these parties to fight the Maharashtra assembly elections on their side. Parties like the Republican Party of India (Athavale) Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) and the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha are all being wooed by both the Shiv Sena and BJP.

The Shiv Sena has sent feelers to the RPI(A) and the SSS that if the alliance with the BJP breaks, then the two parties would be given 30 to 40 seats from the BJP quota that it puts at 119. The BJP too apparently is promising a similar number of seats to the three smaller partners in the group if the partnership breaks. Interestingly, these smaller parties aren’t enthused by the offers. RPI’s Ramdas Athawale said both parties have asked him to join them, but he doesn’t expect the alliance to break.

SSS chief Raju Shetti said he would not like to take a call on which party he would align with. “The Sena and BJP both are mistaken if they think that they would come to power if they contest alone,” he said. “It would be a hung assembly or the Congress-NCP would continue to remain in power.”
Shetti issued a passionate appeal to the BJP and Shiv Sena leadership, saying that his own party is ready to contest in less number of seats in order to ensure that the Sena-BJP has enough seats to distribute among themselves.

“We are willing to take fewer seats because the important issue here is to remove the corrupt Congress-NCP government from power.”