No one can stop Shiv Sena from having its CM in Maharashtra: Sanjay Raut warns BJP

MUMBAI: In yet another warning to the BJP, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday reiterated that no one can stop the party from having a Sena Chief Minister in Maharashtra. 

"CM will be of Shiv Sena only in Maharashtra for the longest time, " claimed Raut. He further said Shiv Sena is the biggest party of Maharashtra and it intended to stay here forever. Addressing a press conference, Raut categorically said, "Why talk about just five years? We want a Shiv Sena CM for the next 25 years", while asserting that Shiv Sena will give the leadership to Maharashtra, "no matter what".

Talking about the common minimum programme being finalised for a coalition government in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said that the draft will be in benefit of people of Maharashtra. Raut added that a meeting was held between Congress, Shiv Sena on Thursday and the talks are going on in the matter, which will be finalised soon.

Raut further said that farmers in the state are suffering from massive crop damage due to unseasonal rains, which need to be resolved soon while adding that Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar have always raised farmers' issues in the state.

When asked on Shiv Sena allegedly taking a backstep on its demand to accord Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, upon Veer Savarkar, on whose ideology Shiv Sena has been formed, Raut dodged the question and again lashed out at the BJP and asked why hasn't BJP government at the Centre not honoured Savarkar in the past five years.

On reports suggesting that the three parties' common minimum programme does not touch upon Hindutva-related issues and demand for a Bharat Ratna for Savarkar, Raut asked who was spreading such reports while reiterating that Sena will always fight for Savarkar.

Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP leaders are expected to discuss the draft of the common minimum programme for Maharashtra with their respective party chiefs - Sonia Gandhi, Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar - on Friday. The draft was finalised between the three parties for a coalition government in Maharashtra after several rounds of hectic parleys over the last three days.

Shiv Sena and BJP contested the recently-held assembly elections together but failed to reach an agreement for government formation. The Shiv Sena's demand of 50-50 government formula, asking for the chief minister's post of two and half years was not accepted by the BJP. Following which, attempts are on by the Shiv Sena to forge an alliance with NCP and Congress.

President's Rule was imposed in the state on Thursday after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's report to Centre that no stable government was possible in Maharashtra under the current political scenario.