On Wednesday, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule stated that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde should be willing to make "sacrifices" regarding seat-sharing for the upcoming assembly polls, similar to the sacrifices the BJP has made to maintain the alliance.
These remarks follow the Election Commission's announcement of the schedule for the polls to the 288 seats in the Maharashtra state assembly. Voting is set to occur on November 20, with the counting of votes scheduled for November 23.
"Chief Minister Eknath Shinde needs to stay open-minded and be willing to make sacrifices. We have also made sacrifices to uphold the alliance. It is clear that the BJP intends to contest the seats we previously held," Bawankule stated during an interview with the news channel in Nagpur.
Bawankule asserted that, as the dominant party in the alliance, it is only natural for the BJP to seek a larger number of seats. When asked about reports that Union Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned the BJP had "sacrificed" the chief minister's post to form an alliance with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Bawankule replied, "I do not know what Union Minister Amit Shah said to Shinde. However, it is true that the chief minister holds the highest position and represents the government." He said that they have urged Shinde to acknowledge that, as the larger party, the BJP should receive a bigger share of the seats for contesting. Bawankule also noted that it is impossible to quantify who has made greater "sacrifices" in the alliance.