Mumbai: Amid the deadlock between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena over government formation in Maharashtra, sources said that Nationalists Congress Party (NCP) may support Shiv Sena to form government in the state.
A meeting between NCP leader Sharad Pawar and AICC interim Chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday had sparked the rumors of the possibility of the NCP supporting the Shiv Sena. It is said that Congress will provide outside support to the government.
It is to be noted that the results for 288-member Maharashtra Assembly were declared on October 24 but no party or alliance has so far staked claim to form the government. The BJP-Sena alliance grabbed an absolute majority in the elections recently, but the rift developed between the ‘friends’ over the seat-sharing agreement. The Sena had demanded 50:50 seat sharing and also sharing the CM’s post on a rotational basis, to which the BJP signaled a ‘NO”. Since then the possibilities of government formation by the allies seem vague.
With the impasse dragging too long, Kishore Tiwari, a Sena leader had even written to RSS Chief Mohan Bhagawat to intervene, but the RSS is yet to respond, said sources.
While the BJP had been stern that the CM of the state will be none other than incumbent CM Devendra Fadnavis, the Sena has been adamant on making young Aaditya Thackeray, son of Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray the CM of the state.
Sena Leader Sanjay Raut, on Tuesday said that the CM will be from Shiv Sena for sure. “The Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena only. The face and politics of Maharashtra is changing, you will see. What you call hungama (commotion) is not hungama but the fight for justice and rights… victory will be ours,” Sanjay Raut said.
The term of the Maharashtra assembly ends on Saturday and a government has to be in place by then, failing which President’s rule will be imposed.
