Will have joint manifesto if alliance with Shiv Sena happens: BJP

MUMBAI: As the posturing between the two bickering alliance partners in Maharashtra continued ahead of the Mumbai municipal polls, BJP today said there would be a joint manifesto with Shiv Sena in case of a tie-up.

"Our stance is that there should be an alliance. That is why, we won't comment on their (Sena) manifesto (released by Sena president Uddhav Thackeray today)," Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar said.

"The BJP manifesto is also ready and will be released soon. However, if the tie-up happens by then, we will release a joint manifesto with our friend party.


"The alliance should happen on the basis of transparent administration and that is more important than figures of who gets to contest how many seats," he said.

"We had sought 114 seats (out of total 227) to contest on the basis of certain facts and logic. However, when the Sena responded with offer of just 60 seats for us, our leaders felt there was no point discussing that figure. The final decision on alliance will be taken by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis," the BJP leader said.

"The so-called 'generous offer of 60 seats' is an insult of BJP and our increased strength. BJP leaders have expressed their extreme displeasure over such offer," Shelar had said yesterday.

In the 2012 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, Sena had contested 158 seats and won 75, whereas BJP won 32 out of 69 seats it had fought.