Maharashtra Assembly Polls 2019 | BJP to contest on 144 seats, Sena gets 126: Sources

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena finalised a seat-sharing arrangement for the Maharashtra Assembly polls, scheduled for October 21, sources told Moneycontrol.

While Sena will contest on 126 seats, BJP is set to field candidates from 144 of the 288 seats, sources said. The remaining 18 seats will be divided among smaller allies.

However, a formal announcement regarding the same is yet to be made, and a BJP functionary said it is expected soon.

Dicussion on the seat-sharing deal between the two partners had been dragging for some time, with leaders in both the parties saying that the pact was stuck over certain seats in Mumbai and other Sena strongholds.

The two saffron parties had contested separately during the 2014 Assembly polls after they were unable to reach a seat-sharing pact. However, they had sealed a post-poll pact after BJP emerged as the single-largest party after winning 122 seats to Sena's 63.

While announcing the seat-sharing deal for the Lok Sabha polls in February, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said that the parties have sealed a 50-50 arrangement for the Assembly polls.

However, according to sources, BJP was unwilling to let Sena contest on half the seats after its performance in Maharashtra during the general elections.