Amid tussle with BJP on government formation in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena demands written assurance on 50:50 formula

"In our meeting, it was decided that like Amit Shah had promised 50:50 formula before Lok Sabha polls, similarly both allies should get chance to run the government for 2.5-2.5 years. So Shiv Sena should also have CM. Uddhav Thackeray should get this assurance in writing from BJP," Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik said.

New Delhi: The Shiv Sena on Friday demanded a written assurance from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the 50-50 sharing formula and said that Maharashtra should have a Shiv Sena CM for 2.5 years. Shiv Sena wants this assurance in writing from either Home Minister Amit Shah or incumbent CM Devendra Fadnavis, only after which the party will lend support to BJP in forming the government. 

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had called a party meeting on Saturday to decide about government formation in the state. 

"In our meeting, it was decided that like Amit Shah had promised 50:50 formula before Lok Sabha polls, similarly both allies should get chance to run the government for 2.5-2.5 years. So Shiv Sena should also have CM. Uddhav Thackeray should get this assurance in writing from BJP," Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik, an MLA from Ovala-Majiwada, said. 

The seat-sharing pact between the two parties has delayed government formation in Maharashtra. 

The BJP and Shiv Sena contested the Assembly election together. While the saffron party won 105 seats, it failed to get a majority in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. Shiv Sena registered a victory on 56 seats, including the Worli constituency, from where their leader Aditya Thackeray (Uddhav's son) has been elected the MLA.

If Shiv Sena's condition is considered by the BJP, the CM's chair for 2.5 years will go to Aditya. He will become the youngest CM of Maharashtra in that case.

"We want Aditya as our CM. This is our first and foremost demand. Before assembly election, both BJP and our party had agreed on 50-50 power-sharing formula, which we wan to be implemented in letter and spirit," Shiv Sena MLA Prakash Survey earlier said. 

''We are confident that party chief Uddhav Ji will stick to it during his negotiations with the BJP high command,'' he added. 

While the counting of votes was underway on Thursday, Uddhav had categorically stated that "time has come to implement the 50-50 formula in Maharashtra that was previously decided with the BJP."