MUMBAI: Accepting Matoshree's olive branch, the BJP on Wednesday decided to contest the upcoming Navi Mumbai and Aurangabad municipal elections with the Shiv Sena as its ally.

State BJP chief Raosaheb Danve met Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree to finalize the poll partnership, which analysts said was prompted by the sheer need for survival.

The BJP has already extended its support to Trupti Sawant of the Shiv Sena in the Bandra-East assembly bypoll, where the Congress party is fielding former chief minister Narayan Rane.

The BJP and the Shiv Sena are in a coalition government in the state but had fought the assembly election separately last year.

Now local leaders of the two parties in Navi Mumbai and Aurangabad have been instructed to work out the modalities for the municipal elections, said Danve after an hour-long discussion with Thackeray.

For the saffron alliance, the Navi Mumbai and Aurangabad municipal elections are crucial as these will test the strength of the Modi wave after last year's winning performance and determine the standing of the two parties after the electorate has seen them in power for a few months.

In Navi Mumbai, the BJP-Shiv Sena will have to face the NCP, while in Aurangabad, the MIM is a force to reckon with. In view of sharp polarization of votes along communal lines, the BJP-Shiv Sena will have to close ranks in Aurangabad, said Shiv Sena organ Saamna in a leader on Wednesday.

Local BJP and Shiv Sena functionaries are to thrash out the seat-sharing formula soon. Contentious seats will be referred to the state-level leadership, said Danve. The Navi Mumbai and Aurangabad elections are scheduled to take place on April 22.

Thackeray had spoken of his wish to ink a pact with the BJP on Tuesday, and barely 24 hours later Danve arrived at Matoshree to finalize the alliance.

Source: TOI