Shiv Sena, BJP confirm alliance for Lok Sabha, Assembly polls (Lead)

Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS) Ending weeks of speculation, the ruling NDA constituents - Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - finally sealed an alliance for the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections.BJP President Amit Shah and Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, along with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, former Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi and other senior leaders from both sides made the announcement at a joint media briefing late this evening."We have been together for over 25 years because of our shared ideologies and spirit of nationalism. In 2014 elections, owing to certain reasons we had split, but later since the past nearly five years we are in alliance in Maharashtra and at the Centre," Fadnavis said.Now, the partnership will continue for the 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly and others elections on a wide-ranging basis, he added.
--IANS qn/mr