BJP leaders in favour of re-election in Maharashtra: Minister

With the Shiv Sena seeming firm on its demand of sharing the chief minister's post in the next Maharashtra government, a BJP minister on Monday said some of his party leaders are willing for re-election in the state.

The BJP leaders expressed this view during a review meeting held in Dhule district on Sunday, state Tourism and FDA Minister Jaykumar Rawal told a television channel.

"The party workers said senior leaders of the BJP should not have forged an alliance (with the Sena)...give us a chance again, we will contest again and win this time," said Rawal, who is considered close to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The meeting in Dhule was attended by several



BJP leaders, workers and candidates who contested the recent Assembly polls, he said.

"Many of them are angry as we could not contest in some seats due to pact with the Sena and lost with a thin margin in some segments," the minister said.

The BJP and its ally Shiv Sena are caught in a stalemate over the chief minister's post, with the Sena demanding an equal division of the top post's tenure and the BJP rejecting it.

Unlike the last Assembly elections, the BJP and the Shiv Sena this time fought elections in alliance with each other. The BJP won 105 seats and the Shiv Sena 56.

The term of the existing 13th state Assembly ends on November 9.