The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance would lead a nine-party front and contest the ensuing local bodies polls and the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls together in Maharashtra.
The state has 48 Lok Sabha seats while the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly comprises 288 constituencies.
Besides, BJP and Shiv Sena, the seven other parties are Ramdas Athawale-led Republic Party of India (Athawale), Prof Jogendra Kawad-led People’s Republican Party, late Vinayak Mete-founded Shiv Sangram, Sulekha Kumbhare-led Bahujan Republican Ekta Manch, Sadabhau Khot-led Rayat Kranti Sangathana, Jansurajya Party and Mahadev Jankar-led Rashtriya Samaj Party.
A meeting of the nine parties was held in Mumbai and the decision was taken.
“The nine parties’ Maha Yuti (grand alliance) would contest the polls together...the Maha Yuti is the NDA in Maharashtra,” state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule said.
“We have aimed to win 45 plus seats in Lok Sabha and 200 plus seats in Vidhan Sabha polls,” he said after the meeting at the state BJP headquarters in Mumbai.
“As of now seat-sharing has not been discussed,” Bawankule said, adding that in the days to come there would be extensive deliberations and after that, the final call would be taken by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the chief leader of Shiv Sena and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP.
“The meeting held discussions on various aspects. We are going to strengthen the alliance that worked together in 2014 and 2019,” he said.
“It was decided to increase the coordination among the parties and leaders in the nine-party Maha Yuti…also the coordination between the Maha Yuti and government would be increased,” he said.
Bawankule said that the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has weakened and many leaders would join the Maha Yuti in the days to come. "They have 10 contenders for Chief Minister. We don't have that competition," he said, adding that the Maha Yuti would defeat the MVA in the ensuing elections.
The MVA Opposition comprises Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), which has in principle decided to contest the 2024 polls together.
If one looks at the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had contested 25 seats and bagged 23 while Shiv Sena contested 23 and got 18.
During the 2019 Vidhan Sabha polls, the BJP contested in 164 seats and won 105 while Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats after putting up candidates in 124 seats.
However, after the June-2022 split, 13 MPs and 40 MLAs are with Shinde while the rest five and 16, respectively, are with Shiv Sena (UBT).