In a major climbdown from its earlier stance, the Shiv Sena may consent to a formula pitched by the Bharatiya Janata Party wherein both parties retain the assembly seats won by them in 2014. In the previous assembly polls, the BJP had snapped ties with the Shiv Sena and won 122 seats, with the Sena emerging as the runner up with 63. Then, the BJP, and to a smaller extent the Shiv Sena, had won seats where the other party had been winning or contesting from. The Sena, which buried the hatchet with the BJP to formalise an alliance before the Lok Sabha polls, had been seeking that some traditional seats where it had an MLA or was in the contest, be swapped by the BJP. The negotiations over these assembly segments were seen as a stumbling block for the saffron alliance. A senior Shiv Sena leader told DNA that they were likely to go by the 122-63 formula wherein each party retains the seats won by it in 2014. "We may agree as there is no other way out. However, some seats may be swapped between us in exceptional cases," he said. This effectively means both parties will give up claim on assembly segments traditionally won or contested by either of them but lost to the other party in 2014. Shiv Sena leaders admit that in this scenario, their party had more to lose as it has a long stretch to cover than the BJP to become the single-largest party. 2014 Recap BJP won seats like Goregaon, Vile Parle, Dahisar, Versova and Andheri in Mumbai, where the Shiv Sena has either had a sitting MLA or has contested from. It also swept all eight assembly segments in Pune, defeating two incumbent Sena MLAs In 2014, the BJP won seats like Goregaon, Vile Parle, Dahisar, Versova and Andheri in Mumbai, where the Shiv Sena has either had a sitting MLA or has contested from. It also swept all eight assembly segments in Pune, defeating two incumbent Sena legislators, and won all three seats in Nashik, where the Sena has a base. Some sitting Sena MLAs defeated by BJP candidates include industries minister Subhash Desai (Goregaon) and Vinod Ghosalkar (Dahisar). Being Cautious Shiv Sena sources admit that conceding seats to the BJP will affect Sena’s base in these regions and also lead to cadre and leaders migrating to the Congress-NCP, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) The Shiv Sena also faced reverses in Vidarbha where it won just four of 64 seats and Marathwada. In Mumbai, the Sena also wrested the Kalina and Chembur assembly constituencies, traditionally fought by the BJP. Shiv Sena sources admit that conceding these seats to the BJP will affect Sena's base in these regions and also lead to cadre and leaders migrating to the Congress-NCP, Prakash Ambedkar's Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). "Despite this, the BJP may try to squeeze us over the seat-sharing terms. While we are insisting that the 288 seats be divided equally, the BJP will gain just 22 over their bench strength in the assembly. They will have to give some of these seats to their smaller allies. Hence, they want the seats to be split equally after leaving aside the share for these allies," the Sena leader explained. The BJP is insisting on these smaller parties contesting on the BJP symbol. The Shiv Sena leader said that however, both, the Sena and BJP may exchange seats based on mutual consent. The Shiv Sena and BJP also have other sticking points like the chief minister's post and power-sharing terms.

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