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BJP aims INLD ties, firms up pact with Shiv Sena

Speculations are rife that Sushma Swaraj may be Haryana CM if BJP won the elections

New Delhi: Top leaders of the BJP and the Shiv Sena are expected to meet in Mumbai soon to finalise seat-sharing details and other contentious issues for the Maharastra Assembly elections.

It is also learnt that cricketer Yuvraj Singh, who met BJP president Amit Shah on Friday, is likely to campaign for the party in Haryana.

Confident of victory in Haryana, a race for the CM post has started in the BJP, which is likely to strike a post-poll alliance with Om Prakash Chautala’s INLD.

In Maharashtra, while the Shiv Sena is pitching for its chief Uddhav Thackeray as CM candidate, the BJP made it clear that if it wins more seats, it will want Devendra Fadnavis to head the government.

Despite some tremors between the BJP and its Shiv Sena ally in Maharashtra, saffron circles in New Delhi appear confident that the Sena “cannot afford to go it alone”.

One BJP leader said, “The Sena could end up like the JD(U) if it stepped out of line.”

Another party leader, however, said that regardless of their differences, neither the Sena nor the BJP wanted to disturb the grand alliance in Maharashtra.

In Haryana, the BJP is confident of the “Modi magic” working wonders yet again.

There is also some speculation that external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj may be keen on becoming CM if the BJP came to power in Haryana. Sources, however, said that PM Narendra Modi may be “disinclined to lose Ms Swaraj”.

On possible post-poll realignments in Haryana, there is a lot of speculation that the BJP could go in for an alliance with the INLD if need be.

With reports of the Congress set to lose Haryana, there are indications that the INLD could possibly gain ground in the state.

Meanwhile, The Election Commission announced that polls would be held to 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra and 90 in Haryana on October 15, while counting will take place on October 19 in both states.

Hectic political parleys began in the saffron and Congress camps after the dates were announced.

The Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath also said that bypolls to five Assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat will also be held on October 15.

In addition, two Lok Sabha byelections in Maharashtra’s Beed and Odisha’s Kandhamal districts will also be held the same day.

( Source : dc correspondent )
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