Shiv Sena and BJP negotiate; RSP, SSS talk of parting ways

MUMBAI: Mahadeo Jankar, president of Rashtriya Samaj Party ( RSP), a part of ' Mahayuti' (grand alliance of opposition parties) today asked Shiv Sena and BJP to finalize the seat-sharing formula by tomorrow, threatening that he would be out of the alliance otherwise.

"If the differences over seat-sharing (between Sena and BJP) are not resolved by tomorrow, I and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghana led by Raju Shetti will contest all the 288 Assembly seats jointly," Jankar told PTI.

The RSP leader said in that case his party and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghtana would contest 144 seats each. "We will wait till tomorrow," he added.

Shiv Sena, in its latest offer, has proposed that BJP should contest 119 seats, but BJP has rejected it.

Jankar said the state BJP leaders, who are in Delhi for the parliamentary board meeting, were expected to discuss the situation with Sena president Uddhav Thackeray later tonight.

"We expect the issue to be resolved by tomorrow, otherwise I and Raju Shetty will part ways with them," he said.

Ramdas Athavale of RPI, another member of the Mahayuti, demanded 20 seats for smaller allies. "Out of the 20 seats, RPI should get ten, five each from Sena and BJP," he said.

"We should not allow the break-up of Mahayuti," he said.