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Though the party's top leadership is struggling to set the house in order, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Maharashtra unit has finalised the seat sharing agreement with the Shiv Sena on Monday for the upcoming assembly polls in the state. According to BJP sources the talks with Shiv Sena are almost over and an official announcement would be made in a day or two. Both the parties agreed for the existing 171:117 formula for the 288 Assembly seats, sources added. In the 2004 Assembly elections, the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance had allotted seven seats to Shetkari Sanghatana led by vetern farmer's leader Sharad Joshi. As Joshi's party is no more a partner of Sena-BJP combine, both the parties are expected to share these seats. BJP is claiming the Chindwada seat, as the sitting legislator of that constituency joined the party. The poll managers of the saffron alliance are confident of achieving seat matrix despite trouble faced by the BJP central leadership. Meanwhile, the ruling Congress - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) combine is still not sure on maintaining the alliance. Also the strategy of Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is not yet clear. The MNS is holding its cards close to the chest as to go alone or ally with one of the two major political groups, or opt for the Third Front.

BJP-Shiv Sena finalises seat-sharing for Maharashtra assembly polls