Uddhav Thackeray

Sena MP Sanjay Raut

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Lok Sabha election

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Shiv Sena presidentsummons all his MPs at Matoshree and agrees on the need for alliance with the BJP but says they are not weak.Responding to mounting pressure to forge an alliance with the BJP, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray called a meeting of all his MPs at his residence Matoshree on Monday. “We want an alliance but we are not lachar (weak). We can’t compromise with our self-respect and take less seats. Those who want to fight for Hindutva can come with us,” Uddhav reportedly told his MPs.Even thoughclaimed that his party was and will remain the big brother in the state, a section of MPs has been indicting that the alliance depends on whether the BJP can follow the Bihar model, both in terms of dignified share of seats and the respectability given to the partner. This means that the Sena wants a 50:50 seat sharing formula for the Lok Sabha and the state assembly elections. The Sena also wants the BJP’s top leadership, including party president Amit Shah and even, to initiate the talks.In Bihar last year, after months of prickly negotiations, Nitish Kumar and Shah announced that they would go half-and-half on seat sharing for the. There, the JDU had made it clear that it won’t allow the BJP a numerical advantage even by one seat, striking down claims by the BJP that they had reached a 16-17 seat deal. Kumar – whose party won only two seats in 2014 after a split with the BJP – had long demanded parity with the BJP, which won 22 seats. The Sena now expects a similar deal for itself and wants top BJP leaders to come forward for the negotiations.According to the Sena’s demand, it wants to contest 24 Lok Sabha seats and wants the BJP to contest the remaining 24. A senior Sena functionary in the loop about the developments said that Uddhav andwere the only ones in the know. “They are the only ones talking on this issue. If they are so keen on an alliance, they should initiate talks publicly,” the functionary had said.In 2014, the Sena had contested 22 seats, while the BJP had fought 26. Both the parties had left a total of three seats for allies. It is learnt that the Sena now wants the BJP to give up Bhiwandi, Palghar and Dhule Lok Sabha seats. It is even eyeing the Satara and Icchalkaranji seats to accommodate new entrants like Nivedita Mane. “The formula and best become a 23:25 formula if we get the seats of our choice. And we will not leave any seats for the allies this time. Because they are the BJP’s allies and not ours,” the Sena functionary said. For the assembly elections as well, the Sena is batting for a 50:50 formula where each party will fight on 144 seats.Meanwhile, Raut continued the Sena rhetoric on Monday. “There is no proposal from the BJP of any kind. We are big brothers in the state and we will remain big brothers in the Lok Sabha elections. We will shake up the Delhi sultanate from here,” Raut said.