Patil says talks in final stage, won’t comment on seat sharing

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena on Tuesday postponed a scheduled press conference where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray were to announce their alliance for the Assembly elections, just a day after miscommunication within the Opposition caused the Nationalist Congress Party to cancel the release of its manifesto.

State BJP president Chandrakant Patil, when asked about the press conference being called off, refused to comment, but said the alliance talks are in the final stage. “Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray are finalising the [seat-sharing arrangement]. They are also discussing it with BJP national president Amit Shah. I have thus decided not to make any further comments on the issue,” Mr. Patil said at a press conference at the party headquarters in Mumbai.

‘Announcement soon’

On Monday evening, BJP leaders had informed media persons that the alliance would be announced on Tuesday. However, later in the night, it emerged that no such announcement was scheduled.

Mr Patil said, “I cannot predict [when it will happen]. All I can say is that the alliance will be announced soon.”

Mr. Fadnavis and Mr. Thackeray will be together in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday to address the Mathadi Kamgar Melava (a gathering of Mathadi workers) and are likely to have lunch at MLC Narendra Patil’s residence.

When asked if former chief minister and Maharashtra Swabhiman Party founder Narayan Rane would be joining the BJP, Mr. Patil said the decision will be taken after the alliance is announced. “ Once [Mr. Fadnavis and Mr. Thackeray] agree on a seat-sharing formula, a decision regarding Rane’s induction into the BJP will be finalised,” he said.

Mr. Patil’s statement indicates that all may not be well within the saffron alliance, especially when the Opposition has already finalised its seat-sharing arrangement and is finalising names of candidates.

‘BJP needs to introspect’

Mr. Fadnavis had said on Monday that the official announcement of the seat-sharing deal would be made at the right time, while Sena leader Sanjay Raut had claimed the coming 24 hours were crucial for the alliance.

On Tuesday, Mr. Raut said the BJP needs to introspect if it cannot honour its commitments, and that the seat-sharing formula with the BJP had been decided before the Lok Sabha elections. He said the party’s position would have been different had it decided to sit in the opposition.

Mr. Patil said, “There was no point in raising this issue now. The Sena has been with us during the entire tenure.”