Amit Shah's challenge to Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress: Approach Maharashtra Governor if you have majority

Amit Shah said, "We were ready to form the government with the Shiv Sena. But there were certain things of Shiv Sena we could not have agreed."

BJP president and Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, November 13, slammed the opposition parties, for raising a ruckus over the imposition of President`s Rule in Maharashtra. Shah said it was `a meaningless exercise to gain public sympathy` because anyone can still approach the Governor if they have a majority to form the government.

The Home Minister told ANI, "We were ready to form the government with the Shiv Sena. But there were certain things of Shiv Sena we could not have agreed." 

In his first interview since Maharashtra`s results were out on October 24, Shah said that during the campaign for Maharashtra assembly polls, the BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Devendra Fadnavis will continue to be the Chief Minister if BJP-Shiv Sena alliance is elected back to power. 

"Nobody contradicted it. Now some mew conditions have come up. We have reservations on this and the party will take a decision at an appropriate time," he said, adding "I only want to say that the ruckus over the President`s Rule is a meaningless exercise to gain public sympathy and nothing else." 

Shah also took a dig at the Congress over its allegations that the President`s Rule was imposed in a hurry and its ally NCP was not given enough time to show the majority, adding "Probably they do not ask their allies." 

The BJP president said that between 11.30 am and 12 noon on Tuesday, the NCP expressed its inability to form the government by writing a letter to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari that they cannot form government till the time given of 8.30 pm. "After that, there was no point of the President waiting till 8.30 pm," he said.

Asked if more time was given for the government formation in Goa and Arunachal Pradesh, he said nowhere more time was given. He said political parties in Maharashtra had eighteen days after the declaration of results to show that they have a majority. 
"After the assembly notification, the Governor waited for 18 days," Shah said, adding that no party or parties came forward to stake the claim to form the government. 

He said the Governor has to take action after the term of assembly ends and he asked different parties. "Once assembly is notified, any party or alliance can go to the Governor. What the Governor could have done. Everyone has been given time," he said.

"Even today if someone has a majority, they can contact the Governor and stake the claim," the Home Minister said, adding the Assembly has not been dissolved but kept in suspended animation. He said allegations could have been made if the assembly was dissolved. 

Meanwhile, the Congress-NCP coordination committee meeting, which earlier got cancelled, took place at Trident Hotel, Mumbai. Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar along with Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde and Nawab Malik along with Congress leaders including Balasaheb Thorat, Prithaviraj Chavan, Sushil Kumar Shinde, Ashok Chavan, Manikrao Thakre, Vijay Wadettiwar discussed the Common Minimum Programme.

In a late night tweet, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, "Rumours being floated that Shiv Sena president uddhav Thackeray had meeting with Ahmed Patel, and we have come to some sort of settlement, on behalf of Uddhav Thackeray let me clarify that this is untrue & being deliberately spread, our talks with Congress and NCP are in process." 

Rumours being floated that shivsena president uddhav Thackeray had meeting with Ahmed Patel and we have come to some sort of settlement, on behalf of uddhav thackeray let me clarify that this is untrue & being deliberately spread , our talks with congress and ncp are in process — Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) November 13, 2019

The BJP and the Shiv Sena got an absolute majority in Maharashtra assembly polls but could not form the government due to differences over power-sharing. The Shiv Sena insisted on having the Chief Minister`s post for two-and-half-year but the BJP said that there was no such agreement. 

The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 105 seats followed by Shiv Sena with 56, NCP 54 seats and Congress 44.