The Shiv Sena became increasingly isolated as the talks for saving the six-party saffron Grand Alliance veered towards collapse here on Thursday.
"We want a proposal which can take the alliance ahead. They keep giving the same things repeatedly in which there is nothing concrete to accommodate the BJP and the other partners," an exasperated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Devendra Fadnavis told mediapersons Thursday.
Expressing frustration at the developments, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana chief Raju Shetti said he was "tired of trying to bring about a rapproachment between BJP, Sena".
Senior Sena leader Diwakar Raote countered by saying that the BJP appeared in great haste to break the alliance.
"The situation is that only one seat is left to be finalized. The BJP is in a hurry to break the alliance," he said.
In Tulzapur temple town of Osmanabad, Sena President Uddhav Thackeray said on Thursday afternoon that discussions are still under way and expressed hope the alliance would continue.
Accusing Sena of ignoring the smaller partners, the BJP held talks with the four other parties in a bid to break the deadlock and prevent them from contesting the 15 October elections separately.
They are Republican Party of India (A), Swabhiman Shetkari Sanghatana, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha and Shiv Sangram, with independent stray pockets of influence.
Some of these parties are likely to throw their weight behind the BJP in case the alliance snaps, their leaders indicated.
The BJP is likely to make its stand clear on Thursday evening on the fate of the alliance after its core committee meeting.
Meanwhile, even before the alliance status was clear, the BJP candidates in many parts of the state went ahead and filed their nominations in various seats.
The deadline for filing nominations is 27 September while the last date for withdrawal is 1 October, for the 15 October polling in 288 assembly seats in the state.
