While the BJP's first list of nominees is lacklustre with Prime Minister renominating old faces and refusing to take any risk by fielding new faces, it's reluctance to concede the demands of the seats demanded by the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar 's NCP, is a candid admission that this is an uneasy alliance for BJP.

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Insiders say that the trio, Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar and Raj Thackeray only made friendly overtures to the BJP to save themselves from corruption charges. Their public posture, of course, is that they are hardline Hindutvavadi, pro development and staunch Maharashtrians,  more so than Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar.

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Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP proximity to the BJP has however, demoralized their cadre, as has the BJP'S association with Raj Thackeray upsetting the non-Marathi voters in Mumbai. Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are both seen as staunch Gujaratis  in Maharashtra particularly after developmental projects in Maharashtra were shifted to Gujarat under the current regime in Maharashtra.

The BJP high command thought that a split in the Shiv Sena and the NCP would destroy Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar but instead it has only driven them to fight harder and in the process, gained some sympathy from the people.

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The Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is delaying the announcement of it's candidates but curiously,  the BJP too is dragging its feet over announcing a final list.