Shiv Sena hardens stand, says Uddhav will take final call on Maharashtra govt

It may be recalled that the negotiations on government formation have dragged on for the 13th day since the election results were announced.

MUMBAI: The newly-elected Shiv Sena legislators on Thursday said that their party president Uddhav Thackeray will take a final call on government formation in Maharashtra in order to end the ongoing political deadlock in the state.

During the meeting, which was held at Sena chief's residence 'Matoshree', the party legislators also asked Uddhav to be firm on the demand for a rotational CM during negotiations with ally BJP. Sena MLAs said with one voice that the doors of their party are now closed for incumbent chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

It was also decided that Shiv Sena will not talk to BJP until the laters accepts its demand for a rotational CM and honours the 50-50 power-sharing formula agreed by the two sides before the assembly election.

The meeting at 'Matoshree' went on for an hour. 

It may be recalled that the negotiations on government formation have dragged on for the 13th day since the assembly election results were announced. 

Shiv Sena MLA Abdul Sattar told reporters that all the party MLAs and 8 independent legislators will remain at Rang Sharda Hotel in Bandra till the government is formed in the state. He added that the party has unanimously decided that only Shiv Sena leader be made the chief minister.

Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had denied rumours of party MLAs being moved to resorts to thwart alleged poaching by ally BJP, saying that his party remained intact and their political adversaries were spreading false rumours. 

Raut also denied that the Sena wants BJP leader and Union minister Nitin Gadkari to be the chief minister instead of Devendra Fadnavis. 

Gadkari himself denied being in running for the CM post and backed Fadnavis for the top job. 

The Union minister said there was “no question” of him returning to state politics and expressed confidence that the Sena and BJP will reach a deal soon.  

The BJP claims to have 121 MLAs including Independents and small parties on its side. But this number is much less than the 145-mark, the number needed in the Maharashtra Assembly. Therefore, the party has decided not to stake claim to form a government.

On the other hand, if no government is formed by November 8 and the Governor calls the BJP since it is the single-largest party, then, in that case, the state leadership will decide only after consulting the top leaders if they should go ahead or not.

November 8 is the last date for the formation of government in Maharashtra.

The BJP has emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats in the recently held Assembly polls, while the Shiv Sena got 56 seats in 288-member assembly. Ten days have passed since the poll results were announced on October 24 but there is a delay in the government formation as BJP-Shiv Sena still engaged in ironing out differences.