BJP, Shinde Sena To Go Solo In Pune, Sambhajinagar Polls

The BJP and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena will go solo in the January 15 polls to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Pune municipal corporations, as seat-sharing talks between the two parties have fallen through.

Leaders from both parties, who are allies in the ruling Mahayuti, are now indulging in a blame game over the breakup.

Sanjay Shirsat, a cabinet minister and Shiv Sena MLA in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, asserted that the BJP ended the partnership due to "arrogance" resulting from its increasing influence in the area.

According to Shirsat, voters in the area agreed with his party's repeated demands for an alliance with the BJP for the municipal elections.

"However, some local BJP leaders deliberately broke the alliance. We feel bad that the tie-up has ended," the Sena minister told reporters.

He further alleged that despite talks with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis resolving the deadlock over contentious seats, the issue was deliberately revived.

The BJP continued seat-sharing discussions while simultaneously preparing its own candidates, keeping the Shiv Sena "in the dark" to gain an advantage, he claimed.

According to Shirsat, the Shiv Sena has now requested that all of its candidates submit nomination forms and has voiced concerns about potential roadblocks.

He also cautioned against mudslinging, claiming that if the Shiv Sena were attacked, they would react similarly.

BJP Minister Atul Save denied Shirsat's claims, accusing Shiv Sena politicians of frequently shifting their positions on seat-sharing.

"Sena leaders sought seats from where BJP corporators have been winning consecutively. It was their arrogance that led to the break-up," Save said, adding that the BJP was still keen on an alliance, but the Shiv Sena would have to come forward, as only a few hours remained for filing nominations.

BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Bhagwat Karad echoed similar views, saying the BJP had been "gracious enough" to offer more seats to the Shiv Sena, but its demands increased.

"We could not proceed with an alliance over such unrealistic demands," he said.

Following the failure of seat-sharing negotiations, the BJP and Shiv Sena have also opted to go it alone in Pune.

The talks apparently broke down after the Sena failed to secure the anticipated number of seats, despite the frenetic parleys that had taken place over the previous several days.

According to Shiv Sena leader Nana Bhangire, the party chose to run on its own because the BJP only promised 16 seats.

He stated that all candidates will receive "AB" forms and that the party would run for 165 seats in the Pune Municipal Corporation elections.

"The sentiments of party workers have been respected, and the Sena will fight on its own strength in Pune," Bhangire said.

He said that the party had initially demanded at least 25 seats and made it clear that an alliance would not be possible unless seats were allotted "with dignity".

Local Sena leaders and workers had also expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that the BJP was offering seats that were difficult for either party to win.

The BJP and Shiv Sena on Monday reached a seat-sharing agreement to contest 137 and 90 seats, respectively, in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls.

Elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Pune, will be held on January 15, and the votes will be counted the next day. The deadline for filing nominations is Tuesday, while January 2 is the last date for withdrawal, and the final list of candidates will be published on January 3.