BJP prepares for life after Sena, but keeps door open

NEW DELHI: Reconciled to a near-inevitable break-up with Shiv Sena, BJP on Sunday rolled out a plan to contest all 288 seats in Maharashtra along with its smaller allies. The decision was taken by the party's central election committee (CEC) after BJP chief Amit Shah briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the Sena's adamant posture on seat-sharing. The CEC also finalized candidates for all the seats. BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy said after the meeting, "Maharashtra seats were discussed at the CEC meeting. Most of the candidates have been decided upon, and party president Amit Shah will announce these names. The political situation in Maharashtra was also discussed, and it was decided that efforts to continue with the alliance will be on, and we would want it to continue in the same spirit that the partnership has been going on for so long in a mutually respectful manner." With the process of filing nominations for the October 15 assembly polls not expected to gather momentum before September 25 because of the ongoing 'inauspicious period of pitru paksha,' both parties are considering waiting for another 72 hours before taking a final decision on the crucial alliance. "There is time till 'shradh' (which ends on September 24) for the tug-of-war to go on," a senior BJP leader said. Senior BJP leaders from Maharashtra, who were in New Delhi on Sunday to attend the party's Parliamentary board meeting, sought the central leadership's go-ahead to snap poll ties. BJP also rejected Sena's latest formula which Uddhav Thackeray spelt out at a party jamboree held in a Bandra auditorium on Sunday. Thackeray said Sena would contest 151 seats and leave 119 for BJP and 18 for junior allies. "This is all that I have to offer to BJP. If they reject this, then I am left with no other alternative," Thackeray told Shiv Sainiks. This is Uddhav's lump-it-or-leave-it ultimatum to BJP, said observers. Like the Maharashtra BJP, Sena has asked all its party units across the state to be prepared to contest polls on their own strength, sources said. In his 45-minute speech, Thackeray gave ample indications that he was willing to plan Sena's future minus BJP. "I will undoubtedly feel sorry if the alliance breaks... But if you are going to treat us like a blade of grass then our tigers are ready (to go solo)," he said.   TOI