BJP panel concludes meeting without decision on poll alliance with Shiv Sena

However, parliamentary board finalizes list for 130 seats

BJP's Central Parliamentary Board meeting on late Sunday evening concluded without taking any final decision on whether or not to break party's 25 year old alliance Shiv Sena and contest all 288 seats in the election to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.  This is after Shiv Sena offered its final seat sharing formula of 151:119.

However, BJP insiders told Business Standard that ''At the meeting, which was attended by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and national president Amit Shah, the Central Parliamentary Board has finalized list for its 130 seats after discussing candidates for all 288 seats. State BJP, which was represented by the leaders of opposition in the state council Vinod Tawde and leader of opposition in the state assembly Eknath Khadse and state unit chief Devendra Fadnavis, will wait for the party high command's decision on alliance. So far no final decision has been taken.''

Modi and Shah have indicated that the party is prepared for one more round of talks with Shiv Sena. However, both the leaders are believed to have indicated that BJP's plan B is ready if Shiv Sena remains adamant.

However, BJP general secretary in charge of Maharashtra Rajiv Pratap Rudy declared that his party was quite keen for the survival of its alliance with Shiv Sena. He declined to divulge details about the discussions held at the meeting of the Central Parliamentary Board.

Tawde informed that the Central Parliamentary Board did discuss the list of party's candidates. ''The powers have been delegated to national president Amit Shah to declare the list of party's candidates in Maharashtra,'' he said, adding that BJP wants its alliance to continue with Shiv Sena.