The gloves seem to be off between the Shiv Sena and the BJP after their runaway success in the Lok Sabha polls. The Shiv Sena has taken umbrage to the BJP's claim that the 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly will be shared equally between the two parties after setting aside 18 seats for their smaller allies. The state assembly elections are due later this year.
The Shiv Sena has objected to this proposal as the BJP wants its four smaller allies, namely, the RPI faction led by Ramdas Athavale, Mahadeo Jankar's Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP), farmer leader Sadabhau Khot's Rayat Kranti and Vinayak Mete's Shivasangram to contest on its lotus symbol. This in effect, means that if elected, these legislators will belong to the BJP.