State leaders have also been advised to properly evaluate†leaders who want to join the BJP from rival political parties.
Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah has directed the state party unit to contest the Vidhan Sabha polls with the Shiv Sena. He asked the state leaders to finalise a seat-sharing formula with the Sena at the earliest.
Mr Shah held a meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis Monday night to discuss the state Assembly polls, which will be held in a couple of months.
According to party sources, Mr Shah, who is also the Union home minister, asked the CM to allay confusion over forging an alliance with the Sena.
Mr Shah was at the forefront when BJP decided to join hands with Sena for the Lok Sabha polls.
He then announced that both parties would also contest the Vidhan Sabha polls jointly. Under the pact between the BJP and Sena, both parties will contest an equal number of seats in the Assembly polls. On Tuesday, Mr Shah also held a meeting with senior party leaders, including Union ministers, who have been assigned key responsibilities in the Assembly polls in four states.
The group took stock of the party’s election preparedness and deliberated on the poll strategy. Party general secretary Bhupender Yadav will be the poll in-charge for Maharashtra.
Party sources said that state leaders have also been advised to properly “evaluate” leaders who want to join the BJP from rival political parties.
In Maharashtra, several MLAs from the Congress and NCP are willing to join the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections. Union minister Raosaheb Danve only recently said that 17 more Opposition MLAs want to join the BJP. The saffron party has already inducted several NCP MLAs, including Vaihav Pichad, Sandeep Naik and Shivendraraje Bhosale.
