While Sena activists are bewildered, thrilled BJP leaders are now gearing up to push for an equal partner’s role in the state combine.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra BJP is upbeat over Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray’s remarks in the wake of BJP President Amit Shah's visit to the state, asserting that he is not interested in becoming chief minister. Now, party leaders are hoping that they can also get more assembly seats from the Sena.

On Saturday, Uddhav said that becoming chief minister was not his dream or priority, and he aspired instead to serve the people. The comments have triggered a debate in political circles since they came a day after Shah’s visit to Matoshree.

While Sena activists are bewildered, thrilled BJP leaders are now gearing up to push for an equal partner’s role in the state combine.

BJP leaders said that during Shah's visit, it was made clear to the Shiv Sena that it would not have a bigger say in Maharashtra politics. “Shah’s visit to Matoshree after the Sena’s repeated request has forced the Sena leadership to understand the changed political scenario in the state. It has also made them realize that most of its MPs got elected due to the Modi wave. So, now the Sena leadership is left with no option but to adjust itself to the new political scenario in the state,” a BJP leader told Firstpost.

The BJP leader also pointed out that while the Sena leaders had been aggressively projecting Uddhav as CM for the last two months, Uddhav himself had maintained silence over the issue. “Now, suddenly after Shah’s visit, he has made this statement, which clearly shows that Shah has made him understand that the Sena will not play a big brother’s role in the state anymore,” the BJP leader said, adding that the Sena seems to have reconciled itself to the BJP’s increasing presence in Maharashtra.

Another BJP leader told Firstpost that the party was now hoping to use the momentum and get more seats from the Sena. The seat-sharing talks between the two have become almost as complex as those between the warring Congress and NCP. The BJP wants to contest more than the 119 seats it contested in Maharashtra in 2009. The Sena contested the remaining 169 in the 288-member Assembly. The party, emboldened by its performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, now wants to contest at least 135 seats, while the Sena is unwilling to relent.

However, the Sena leaders are still adamant and are not ready to suddenly play the junior partner’s role in its two decade old alliance. “Though Uddhavji has clarified that he is not interested in becoming CM, it is his personal opinion. But, the party leaders, activists and people of the state still want Uddhav as CM of the state,” said Subhash Desai, a senior Sena leader and the party’s group leader in the state assembly, to Firstpost.

Last month, Uddhav’s estranged cousin, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had said that it was not in Thackeray genes to contest electiona or become chief minister.

Political observers said that the BJP’s pressure tactics have worked, which would help it in getting more seats from Sena for the upcoming assembly election.

“Uddhav’s remarks after Shah’s visit clearly state that the Sena will not able to dominate the saffron alliance in Maharashtra anymore, and the BJP will also have to be taken into consideration. It also means that there won’t be a Sena chief minister now. Since Sena can’t win the election on its own, they are left with no option but accept whatever happens,” said Prakash Bal, a political analyst.