Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The third meeting of ministers and office-bearers from the BJP and Shinde Sena regarding the municipal corporation elections was held on Saturday at a hotel on Jalna Road. In this meeting, consensus was reached on 50 per cent of the seats. To resolve the remaining seats, a new committee comprising four members from each party will begin discussions from Sunday.
Guardian minister Sanjay Shirsat and OBC welfare minister Atul Save informed the media that the seat-sharing arrangement of the Mahayuti will be finalised by December 22. Instructions from the senior leadership are to contest the municipal elections jointly as the Mahayuti. Accordingly, this was the third meeting of steering committee office-bearers of the BJP and Shinde Sena to discuss seat sharing.
From the Shinde Sena, guardian minister Sanjay Shirsat, district president Rajendra Janjal, former MLC Kishanchand Tanwani, observer Vilas Parkar, former mayors Nandkumar Ghodele and Vikas Jain, Harshada Shirsat and Rishikesh Jaiswal were present. From the BJP, minister Atul Save, MP Dr. Bhagwat Karad, MLC Sanjay Kenekar, city president Kishor Shitole, Sameer Rajurkar, Shirish Boralkar and Prashant Desarda attended the meeting.
During the discussions, party leaders reviewed prabhag-wise details of former corporators of both parties and their current party affiliations. After the meeting, Shirsat and Save spoke to reporters.
Shirsat said, “Yesterday, we exchanged lists of our strong seats. Today, we again discussed one seat from each prabhag. Discussions were held keeping in mind who would be the strongest candidate and how victory could be ensured regardless of which party gets the seat.”
Seat sharing to be finalised by December 22
Sanjay Shirsat said,“Consensus has been reached on 50 per cent of the seats in this meeting. A final decision on the remaining seats will be taken, and BJP–Shinde Sena seat sharing will be finalised by December 22.”
New committee for seat sharing
To hold discussions on the remaining seats, BJP and Shinde Sena have decided to form a new committee with four office-bearers from each party. From the Shinde Sena, Tanwani, Janjal, former mayor Jain, and Rishikesh Jaiswal will be members. From the BJP, Rajurkar, Boralkar, Shitole, and Desarda will be part of the committee.
Set aside big brother–small brother differences: Save
Minister Save said that internal differences such as who is the big brother or younger brother should be set aside, and the aim should be to bring the Mahayuti to power in the municipal corporation. He added that talks would be held with alliance partners after BJP–Shinde Sena seat sharing is finalised.
Uddhav Sena is now UBT Mamu
Minister Save also criticised the Uddhav Sena, saying that they have now renamed it as UBT Mamu. He said this criticism was due to the party giving entry to former mayor Rashid Khan Mamu, who had allegedly opposed chanting Vande Mataram and raised anti-national slogans.