Politics: Shiv Sena has not yet received any proposal from the BJP on seat sharing in Maharashtra for the coming Lok Sabha polls, said Rajya Sabha member and Sena leader Sanjay Raut here on Monday.
When asked to comment on the BJP’s reportedly seat-sharing formula of 50:50, Raut said: “We have not yet received any proposal in this regard. And we are not here to accept a proposal like this.”
“We were the big brother in Maharashtra. We are the big brother and will stay as the big brother,” Raut said while talking to media persons after the Shiv Sena’s parliamentary party meeting held at the residence of Uddhav Thackeray. In Maharashtra, the BJP-Shiv Sena had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election as an ally, and won 41 seats out of a total of 48 at stake in the state. BJP had won 22 seats, while the Shiv Sena 19. However, they contested the subsequent Assembly polls separately.
Briefing media about the other issues which came up for discussion during the meeting, Raut said: “We had a discussion on Rafale jet deal, drought, and also income tax waiver for those reserved category 10 per cent people whose annual income is under Rs 8 lakh.”
“The demand of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and the party is that those covered under the 10 per cent EWS quota for the general category with an annual income of Rs 8 lakh must be exempted from paying the income tax. You have certified that they are poor. I know these people will be happy with the income tax exemption,” said Raut.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]