BJP, Shiv Sena to ally for Maharashtra polls

Maharashtra's ruling saffron combine - the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena - will contest the October 21 Assembly elections together with other allies, a joint statement said here on Monday.

However, the ticklish question of seat distribution continues to hang fire and this would be declared later, according to the statement signed by two ministers - state BJP President Chandrakant Patil and senior Sena leader Subhash Desai.

Patil also said earlier that the alliance announcements and details of seat-sharing will soon be made jointly by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray.

Nonetheless, several formulae for seat-sharing between the BJP-Sena and allies have been floated since the past few days, but none have been considered as final.

The ruling combine comprises the BJP, the Shiv Sena, the Republican Party of India-A, the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, the Shiv Sangram Party and the Rayat Kranti Sanghatana.

The two leaders expressed hope that the people of Maharashtra will give them another opportunity after the government's performance during the last five years.IANS