MUMBAI : The BJP and Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Friday continued their war of words, indicating discontent over seat sharing for the upcoming Lok sabha elections.
Deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said, “BJP has 105 MLAs and is the single-largest party, still the party made Eknath Shinde, who has support of only 44 MLAs, chief minister of Maharashtra.”
He said the alliance partners should be realistic while asking for more seats. Reacting to Fadnavis’s statement, Shiv Sena (Shinde) MLA Sanjay Shirsat said, “Eknath Shinde revolted, therefore BJP came in power in Maharashtra; otherwise it would have remained in the Opposition.”
He said the BJP should not try to take credit for supporting Shinde. “It was a necessity for both the parties and so credit should be given to both,” Shirsat said.
He said Uddhav Thackeray had insisted on equal power sharing formula with the BJP in 2019, though Union home minister Amit Shah had said no such agreement had been made.
“BJP had agreed to have equal power sharing in Maharashtra and even offered the chief minister post for two and a half years, but Uddhav Thackeray refused to accept it. Uddhav wanted the chief minister post for five years and Sharad Pawar offered it,” said Shirsat.
Earlier, Sena (Shinde) leader Ramdas Kadam had accused the BJP of trying to finish its allies by offering them less seats in Lok Sabha polls. Without naming Kadam, union minister Narayan Rane said, “BJP always works for its allies and honours the colleagues. We never finish allies.”
Meanwhile, CM Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar flew to Delhi to discuss seat sharing with top leadership of BJP. Shinde and Pawar are unhappy over eight and four seats offered to them.
The BJP, the Shiv Sena, and the NCP, coalesced in governing Maharashtra, are deliberating the intricate details of the coalition for the Lok Sabha elections.