Shinde ups Maha ante on BJP, lays claim to 113 seats

MUMBAI: After winning seven out of 15 seats it contested in the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena is planning to contest 113 seats in assembly polls due later this year, sources said. Asserting his position in the BJP-led Mahayuti, Shinde on Sunday appointed 46 election in-charges and 93 party observers for 113 assembly seats.

“Shinde-led Shiv Sena is planning to contest 113 state assembly seats out of 288 in Maharashtra. As part of preparations, the assembly segment in-charges and observers are being appointed and given responsibility,” a senior Shiv Sena leader said, requesting anonymity, “In the recent Lok Sabha elections, we made a lot of compromises with the BJP because we wanted BJP in state.

The situation has changed now. Now BJP is more in need of Sena to run a smooth government in Delhi. After JD(U) and TDP, Shinde-led Sena is the third largest partner in NDA. Therefore, BJP has to concede more space to Sena in coalition politics,” the leader said.

Earlier, Sena leader Ramdas Kadam also said they will not succumb to the BJP’s pressure tactics in assembly elections. “In LS polls, BJP by showing their internal survey snatched several seats from us. BJP contested 28 Lok Sabha seats and won only nine. BJP is no more stronger, therefore they need support of Sena,” he said.

Amid growing pressure from the Sena, the BJP also started asserting its position and decided not to concede more seats to partners. “In the internal meeting, it was discussed that Ajit Pawar-led NCP should be given maximum 40 to 50 seats and 50 to 60 seats to Sena. If we leave more seats in assembly polls, then we may lose our dominance in Maharashtra. We have to grow though we are in dire need of the alliance,” a BJP leader said