MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Republican Party of India (Athavale) combine is keenly awaiting the outcome of the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party alliance's poll talks. "They (Congress-NCP ) are deliberately delaying a decision to upstage our plans to announce a list of candidates," a senior Sena leader said on Wednesday. The Sena-BJP-RPI combine may release its list on January 11, he added. Key combine leaders will meet in Mumbai this weekend to finalize its list. "We are going ahead on the presumption that the Congress and NCP will seal a poll pact for the civic elections on February 16," a state BJP leader said on Wednesday. According to the Sena-BJPRPI seat-sharing formula, the BJP will contest 66 out of the 228 seats, six less than its 2007 share. The BJP has offered six seats to the RPI. Having accepted a cut of 18 seats in its 2007 share of 156 seats, the Sena will contest 138 seats, leaving 24 seats for the RPI. "The seat-sharing talks have been smooth. There weren't too many hurdles," said the BJP functionary. The BJP's state executive will meet here over the weekend to finalize its strategy for the February 7 zilla parishad (ZP) elections across Maharashtra. Sena CEO Uddhav Thackeray held consultations with district unit chiefs at the Sena Bhavan on Wednesday. With the NCP-Congress pulling the rug from under the Sena's feet in the recent municipal council elections, Matoshree is now keen to salvage the party's reputation.Meanwhile, the Sena-BJPRPI combine has demanded that counting of votes for the ZP and municipal corporation elections be held on the same day. Counting of votes for the ZP polls on February 8 may affect voters preparing for the municipal corporation elections, a week later, the combine's leaders told state election commissioner Neela Satyanarayan on Wednesday. Satyanarayan, however, rejected the demand, citing shortage of electronic voting machines.
