Mumbai: After days of haggling and weathering anxious moments, BJP and Shiv Sena today entered into a seat-sharing pact in Maharashtra with the national party to contest from 26 Lok Sabha seats and its long-term saffron ally to put up candidates from the rest of the 22 constituencies.
The deal came after resolving of differences between BJP and Shiv Sena, amid speculation that it was cosying up to NCP.
"BJP will contest 26 of the 48 seats while the Sena will field nominees from the 22 other seats," state BJP president Nitin Gadkari told reporters in Mumbai.
In the 2004 polls also, BJP had contested 26 seats and Sena 22.
"There is no confusion (over the alliance) now...No argument remains," Gadkari said. "I am sure that party workers will work unitedly in the interest of Hindutva," he added.
BJP agreed to Sena's demand for three seats, Kalyan, Washim-Yavatmal and South Mumbai. In return, Sena has given Bhiwandi, Jalgaon and Mumbai North-West to BJP.
Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Gopinath Munde told reporters in New Delhi that if the party agrees, he would like to contest from Beed constituency in Marathwada region.
BJP president Rajnath Singh and Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray would soon launch a joint poll campaign of the saffron alliance, BJP sources said.
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