Ending months of speculations, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena on Monday finally agreed to team up for the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections. The Announcement came in the Joint Presser addressed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BJP National President Amit Shah and Shiv Sena Boss Uddhav Thackeray.
According to the pact announced in the Joint Press Briefing, BJP will contest 25 seats and Shiv Sena 23 of the total 48 LS seats in the state. A 50:50 formula will be applied for the 288-strong legislative assembly “after accommodating other (smaller) parties”.
It has also been decided that posts (in government such as ministerial portfolios and other executive posts) will be shared equally”, the CM Devendra Fadnavis said. Despite Sena’s recent demand for the CM’s post, there has been no decision on who will get it. The state polls are scheduled to be held a few months after the Lok Sabha Polls.
READ: Shiv Sena lays new rule before BJP for alliance; says ‘Ally Partners should get CM Post in their States’
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while addressing a Press Briefing said, ‘We have taken this decision in the interest of the nation and we believe NDA will come to power in 2019’. He added, ‘Shiv Sena will fight on 23 seats and BJP will fight on 25 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections’
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis: Shiv Sena will fight on 23 seats and BJP will fight on 25 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections pic.twitter.com/aZnl5melXn
— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2019
Chief Minister added, ‘For Maharashtra assembly elections, we will hold discussions with our other allies. Leaving the numbers of seats taken by our allies, BJP and Shiv Sena will fight on the equal number of seats.’
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis: For Maharashtra assembly elections, we will hold discussions with our other allies. Leaving the numbers of seats taken by our allies, BJP and Shiv Sena will fight on equal number of seats. https://t.co/LsdTvzGmmT
— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2019
While Amit Shah said that the BJP-Sena alliance will help NDA, under Modi’s leadership, to return to office and that it “would win 45 of 48 LS seats in Maharashtra”. Shah described Sena and Akali Dal as BJP’s “oldest” allies and paid tributes to AB Vajpayee and late Sena founder Bal Thackeray. Describing the BJP-Sena alliance as an “ideological partnership,” Fadnavis said the parties were committed to Hindutva and nationalism.
Stating that BJP shared Sena’s demand for early construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Fadnavis said BJP is in full support of Uddhav Thackeray Ji’s demand of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. We have tried to acquire 67 acres of land for temple trust.
While Shiv Sena Boss Uddhav Thackeray said ‘State assembly elections are also in four months, seats are divided equally for it. Responsibilities will also be divided in half’. He added, ‘Maharashtra CM has kept forward all the important things in this press conference. I don’t think I need to add anything. Before going any further, I pay my tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in Pulwama Terror Attack‘.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray: People are seeing Shiv Sena and BJP for past 30 years. For 25 years, we stood united, & for 5 years, there was confusion. But like CM said, I still provided guidance to government from time to time pic.twitter.com/vKk0quQHuE
— ANI (@ANI) February 18, 2019
Sena Chief added, ‘People are seeing Shiv Sena and BJP for the past 30 years. For 25 years, we stood united, & for 5 years, there was confusion. But as CM said, I still provided guidance to the government from time to time’.
Referring to Sena’s demand for a farm loan waiver, the CM admitted administrative goof-ups had resulted in a delay in effective implementation of the waiver scheme in the state. “We will take a review of waiver beneficiaries at the earliest and remove administrative hurdles,” he said.
Fadnavis said key BJP-Sena leaders would soon undertake a joint tour of the state to explain the significance of the alliance to local activists. The saffron functionaries will also tour drought-ravaged villages in order to expedite relief works, he said.
BJP’s association with the Shiv Sena goes beyond politics and is bound by a desire to see a strong India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday after the two parties agreed to contest the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections together. He said the decision to contest together strengthens the NDA significantly.
“I am sure our alliance is going to be Maharashtra’s first and only choice,” the PM tweeted.
“Inspired by the vision of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bal Thackeray, BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will continue working for the well-being of Maharashtra and ensuring the state once again elects representatives who are development oriented, non-corrupt and proud of India’s cultural ethos,” he wrote.
Our association with the @ShivSena goes beyond politics. We are bound by a desire to see a strong and developed India.
The decision to contest together strengthens the NDA significantly. I am sure our alliance is going to be Maharashtra’s first and only choice!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 18, 2019
Inspired by the vision of Atal Ji and Balasaheb Thackeray Ji, BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will continue working for the well-being of Maharashtra and ensuring the state once again elects representatives who are development oriented, non corrupt and proud of India’s cultural ethos.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 18, 2019
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