Updated: No change in Shiv Sena’s stance after Amit Shah-Uddhav meeting

A day after BJP President Amit Shah’s meeting with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said “We know what the agenda of Amit Shah ji is but Shiv Sena has passed a resolution that we'll contest all upcoming elections on our own. There will be no change in that resolution”, according to ANI News.

Shah had called on Thackeray on Wednesday, hoping to repair the severely strained relations between the two alliance partners. The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been bitterly targeted by Thackeray and his party in recent times. The relations between the two partners plummeted to a new low when Shiv Sena 'hijacked' Shriniwas Vanga, the son of late BJP MP Chintaman Vanga from Palghar, and gave him the party ticket for the May 28 Palghar Lok Sabha bypolls. A raging BJP inducted former Congressman Rajendra Gavit, who defeated Vanga.

Subsequently, both Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have made conciliatory noises towards the Sena. But there is so much bitterness between the allies that Uddhav Thackeray yesterday did not even permit Fadnavis to attend the meeting between him and Shah, and kept the Maharashtra CM waiting on another floor of his residence, Matoshree. The meeting yesterday was part of BJP outreach to mollify BJP allies and build bridges before the 2019 parliamentary battle.

However, the Shiv Sena on Thursday indicated it had not changed its stance of contesting all future elections solo, even after the marathon two-hour bridge-building meeting. Raut’s latest statement suggests Shah’s efforts to get Sena to jointly contest future elections, were not successful. Raut also told mediapersons: "The decision to contest all elections in future was taken by the party's National Executive… How can any outsider come and influence it?"

However, Raut said Thackeray will make the party's stand clear at his public meeting scheduled later on Thursday in Palghar.

Congress unites Maharashtra opposition for MLC polls; Shiv Sena and BJP put up separate candidates

On its part, the BJP has displayed an air of confidence, with several leaders optimistic that the two oldest allies will join hands not only for the Lok Sabha but also the Maharashtra Assembly elections, both scheduled in 2019.

But to drive home the point further, the Sena has announced its candidates for the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections to Mumbai and Konkan Graduates Constituencies. The BJP has also declared its candidates for the June 25 polls.

In stark contrast, Congress state President Ashok Chavan adopted a conciliatory gesture by not putting up any candidates for the elections to four MLC seats, but declared unconditional support to candidates representing "secular forces".

The Congress will back Nationalist Congress Party's Najib Mulla for Konkan, Loktantrik Janata Dal (Sharad Yadav)'s Kapil Patil for Mumbai Teachers Constituency, Peasants and Workers Party's Rajendra Korde for Mumbai Graduates Constituency and Teachers Democratic Front's Sandeep Bedse for Nashik Teachers Constituency.

With IANS inputs.