Seat-sharing announcement will be made by CM, Sena chief:Patil

Mumbai: The final seat-sharing deal between the BJP and the Shiv Sena for the assembly polls in Maharashtra will be announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray who are discussing its contours with BJP chief Amit Shah, senior BJP leader Chandrakant Patil said on Tuesday.

The state BJP president also said he would not make any comment on the seat-sharing issue in future.

Patil’s statement comes against the backdrop of intense deliberations going on between top leaders of the BJP and the Sena to arrive at a mutually-agreeable seat-sharing formula for the October 21 electoral contest.

“The alliance talks are in the final stage. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray are finalising the talks. They are also discussing it with BJP national president Amit Shah. I have thus decided not to make any further comments over the issue,” Patil told reporters at the state BJP headquarters here.

Patil, however, refused to answer questions on apparent miscommunication between the BJP and the Sena that led to the cancellation of the previously announced press conference of Fadnavis and Thackeray on the possible alliance on Tuesday.

On Monday late afternoon, BJP leaders informed media persons about the scheduled announcement of the alliance on Tuesday. However, later in night it emerged that no such announcement is scheduled.

Responding to a query on the miscommunication, Patil said, “I am not a soothsayer. All I can say is that the announcement of the alliance will be made soon”.

Patil also cleared the air on the induction of Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha leader Narayan Rane and his two sons into the BJP, saying the decision will be finalised after Fadnavis and Thackeray seal the seat-sharing deal.