Amid hectic parlays on seat sharing continuing in Maharashtra for Assembly polls, if BJP president Amit Shah is saying that Maharashtra elections will be referendum of Article 370 then he must be saying this for multiple audiences including its allies in the state. The message is loud and clear that the BJP is here to deliver and it will not buckle under any pressure from anyone on anything.

It has been communicated to Shiv Sena by the BJP that it is not ready to concede more than 120 seats to Shiv Sena albeit some fringe benefits of more ministerial births and post of deputy chief minister but term and condition will be of the BJP. During 2014, the BJP was uncertain about its performance in Maharashtra but this time round they are bulging with confidence.

The BJP is working on a formula in which the party and its smaller allies would claim 168 seats leaving 120 for the Shiv Sena. The BJP will give 8 to 10 Assembly seats to its smaller allies and contest on 160-158 seats on its own. Actually the BJP wants to win around 145 seats to gets simple majority of its own which they feel is very much possible in the present circumstances.

But Shiv Sena is insisting for the equal number of seats and also wants to swap some of the seats with the BJP but sources informed that the Shiv Sena being given equal number of seats does not appear to be working out.

(By Vinod Kumar Shukla)