Smaller parties of grand Mahayuti alliance miffed with Shiv Sena, BJP over seat sharing

Mumbai: Smaller parties of the grand Mahayuti alliance up the ante as they hint to walk out of the alliance over issue of seat sharing.

The Republican Party of India, the Rashtriya Samaj Party and Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghathana have rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party proposal which offered them only seven seats. The Shiv Sena, on Tuesday had proposed 151 seats for itself and agreed to the BJP's demand of 130 seats, but offered only seven seats to other allies - 11 less than what they had offered earlier. The two parties would be meeting again on Wednesday.

"BJP and Shiv Sena have offered us seven seats which is an insult to us. They will talk and let us know tomorrow about a fresh proposal. We have contested more seats than this in the last election," said Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna president Raju Shetty.

Vianyak Mete of the Shiv Sangram Samit concurred saying that, "This offer by the BJP and the Shiv Sena is not acceptable to us. All the smaller parties will meet tomorrow and take final call".

"The proposal is not acceptable to us. We feel this is an insult. All four parties are upset," added Mete.

The Shiv Sena, though, emphasized that none of the parties were offended. Party spokesperson Sanjay Raut emphasized that, " The alliance will stay. Nobody is upset. Differences will be resolved."

BJP Maharashtra unit president Devendra Fadnavis also reiterated his party's stand saying insisting that BJP wants to contest the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections along with the smaller alliance partners. Fadnavis also said that talks were underway to tackle the situation.