Maharashtra: BJP, Shiv Sena finally announce alliance

Ending months of uncertainty, the BJP and Shiv Sena on Monday announced a pre-poll tie up for the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls.

The BJP-Sena will lead the alliance and would comprise of Ramdas Athawale-led Republican Party of India (Athawale), Rashtriya Samaj Paksha led by Mahadev Jankar, Vinayak Mete's Shiv Sangram and Sadabhau Khot led Rayat Kranti Sangathana.

However, the seat-sharing formula has not yet been announced. The decision was taken at a meeting on Monday which was attended by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, Athawale, Jankar, Mete and Khot.

"Under the leadership of Fadnavis and Thackeray, we are going for elections," state BJP president and revenue minister Chandrakant Patil and Shiv Sena leader and industries minister Subhash Desai announced in a joint press statement.