BJP should fight all 288 seats, asserts Rane; ally Sena says allocation will be as per strength

MUMBAI: BJP leader and former Union minister Narayan Rane on Friday said his party should contest all 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly polls scheduled to be held later this year.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is part of the Mahayuti government in the state with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-helmed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) being the two other constituents of the ruling alliance.

"I feel the BJP should contest 288 seats," Rane said in response to a question on how many seats his party should contest.

Rane, a former Maharashtra chief minister, said in a press conference that Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held a meeting with BJP leaders on the poll preparations in the state on Thursday.

Shiv Sena MP and party spokesperson Naresh Mhaske was quick to respond to Rane's comment.

Mhaske said Rane's stand is not that of his party's or of BJP leaders.

"All parties will get seats as per their strength. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar will take a decision on seat sharing," he added.

Rane claimed someone else is behind Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange's attacks on Fadnavis and the party stands solidly behind the deputy chief minister.

He also said provisions in the Union budget will enable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), give relief to the taxpayers and make India a developed country.