Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had stated early this month that the party would go it alone, but latest indications are that an alliance with the BJP is on the anvil in several areas and at various levels: corporation, municipality, zilla parishad and panchayat samiti.
Pramod Mahajan, BJP leader instrumental in forging the alliance with the Sena for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, told Business Standard that following Thackerays willingness, talks had already been held recently in Bombay. More such exercises are expected to take place.
He, however, added that the sheer scale of elections to local bodies made it well nigh impossible to have an alliance in all 9,500-odd seats. The adjustments would made in vital areas; mainly at the corporation levels, which means only in urban areas. Clearly, the understanding would be in areas where the Congress is strong.
The break-up of seats in local bodies is: 1000 corporation, 4000 municipality, 1500 zilla parishad and 3000 panchayat samiti.
In recent years both the BJP and Shiv Sena have expanded their bases in Maharashtra. What is less known is that even though we have had alliance for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, there has never been a pre-poll alliance at the local bodies level, not even during elections to the Bombay municipal corporation. We have always fought each other at the local bodies level