Maharashtra govt formation in limbo as Shiv Sena remain firm on rotational Chief Ministership
Mumbai/IBNS: The ongoing political logjam in Maharashtra found no breakthrough even on Thursday as Shiv Sena dared its bigger ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to prove majority in the assembly, remaining firm in its demand of rotational Chief Ministership.
The day began with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray calling all his party MLAs for a meeting following which the newly-elected legislators were parked at a Mumbai hotel, reminding the days of resort politics seen in Karnataka last year.
Briefing media post-meeting, Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, "If they have a majority, let them prove in the assembly. These games will not be successful this time. People of Maharashtra will soon get a government they have voted for. The Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena. We have our alternatives. We have formed an alliance on the basis of the deal."
However, the BJP, which is also showing no sign to budge down, claimed the Chief Minister will be from the saffron party.
In an interesting move, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Thursday cancelled all his plans in New Delhi and flew off to Nagpur to meet Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the saffron party's parental organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
However, he denied Bhagwat's or RSS' role in government formation in the western state.
"The BJP has won 105 seats. It has emerged as the single largest party. So naturally the Chief Minister should be from our party," said Gadkari.
Maharashtra caretaker Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already been elected as the party's legislative party leader.
When asked whether he would like to assume the post, Gadkari, an MP from his home city Nagpur, said, "I am in Delhi. There is no question of coming to Maharashtra."
Following the poll results in Maharashtra, the Sena demanded not only the rotational Chief Ministership but also 50:50 power share in the government, all of which have been turned down by the BJP which has won 105 seats. The Sena won 56 seats.
The Sena's mild push to form a non-BJP government in the state was crushed on Wednesday with the refusal of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar to join the BJP's ally.
The Congress, which has 44 seats under its belt, has also distanced itself from the Sena.
The Sena was looking to cobble up the required number by adding NCP's 54 and Congress' 44.
The deadline to form the new government is Nov 9.
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