Tawde, the party's general secretary, was speaking to reporters during an informal interaction organised by the Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ).

Former minister Eknath Khadse will return to the BJP, and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the party's state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule had never opposed his rejoining, he said.

Khadse quit the BJP in 2016 after almost four decades in the party. Last month, the veteran leader, who is with the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), said he would be rejoining the saffron party.

Tawde, however, said that the party's Central leadership will make the final decision about Khadse's return to the fold.

Talking about the break-up of the previous alliance between the undivided Shiv Sena and BJP, Tawade said, "Fadnavis would have been the chief minister, but he doesn't play politics of revenge. We had an ideological alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena. People allege that leaders join the BJP under pressure from investigative agencies, but in that case, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut would have joined the party long back."

The Mahayuti alliance comprises the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP and the NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, and under the seat-sharing arrangement, the BJP has so far agreed to contest in 27 seats, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP will field its candidates in four constituencies and Shiv Sena in 15 seats.