MUMBAI, Dec. 24 -- Although the nominations for the BMC polls began on Tuesday, the state's major political parties were still silent on their candidates. Leaders said that seat-sharing negotiations were on and the details of the alliances should be clear by Wednesday. Raj and Uddhav Thackeray are expected to announce the details of their tie-up on Wednesday according to a short cryptic message by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on social media. The NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar will also have decided by that date whether to join the Thackeray cousins. Eknath Shinde and CM Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting early on Tuesday morning to sort out the modalities of the BJP-Shiv Sena tie-up, and reportedly reached a consensus on 180 of Mumbai's 227 seats. Senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the seat-sharing for Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli and some other cities would be finalised by Wednesday. While the BJP was firm on contesting 150 seats and leaving the rest for the Sena, Shinde pointed out that he had over 125 former corporators originally from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and other parties and had to accommodate them. The Sena had demanded 100 seats and later asked for 125. A senior Sena minister, however, said that the party might eventually have to settle for between 80 and 90. A Shiv Sena minister said, "We are finalising the alliance in Mumbai first and will thereafter focus on the division of seats in Thane, Kalyan Dombivli, Navi Mumbai and Panvel." Sena spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre said that Shinde would declare the list by Wednesday evening or Thursday. Meanwhile, the alliance between the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will be announced on Wednesday noon. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut posted a picture of the two on his social media account with the brief message: "Tomorrow, 12 pm." The cousins will hold a press conference at a Worli hotel to announce their alliance. Raj Thackeray was keen on completing the seat-sharing talks before announcing the formal alliance, which delayed the announcement, said insiders. There are differences between the two parties on the sharing of seats in Dadar, Mahim, Borivali, Vikhroli, Bhandup and Sewri. Sena (UBT) leaders said that there were 40 seats where both parties had no candidates, and a final decision on the party and candidate was yet to be taken. Both the parties performed poorly in last year's assembly elections: while the Sena (UBT) won 20 seats, the MNS drew a blank. Struggling for survival, the cousins buried their bitterness and differences of decades to come together for the civic polls. They are likely to play the Marathi manoos card, appealing to Marathi-speaking people to vote for them in order to keep control of Mumbai in the hands of "sons of the soil". While the Congress has refused to join an alliance with the MNS in it, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) is likely to join the Thackeray cousins. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab said, "We have scheduled the function for Wednesday since the NCP (SP) is to decide on the alliance with us by Tuesday evening." Commenting on the Uddhav-Raj tie-up, BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban said, "This alliance is not a meeting of minds but a reflection of deep differences. It is a coming together for elections by drawing a curtain over ideological disagreements, leaders' egos and past bitterness."...