Mumbai: In a development that only underscores the hard bargain that Shiv Sena is doing with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the extent to which it wishes to go for that, Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday once again reminded the BJP of the 50-50 power sharing formula and said it has other options as well. This demand has been completely brushed aside by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who said that he alone would be the CM for the next five years.
BJP’s Rajya Sabha member claimed that 45 Shiv Sena MLAs were in touch with the party and had assured their support to a government formed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The BJP, which has 105 seats in the 288-member House, has also garnered support of two Independent MLAs — Ravi Rana (Badnera Assembly seat in Amravati district) and Kishor Jorgewar (Chandrapur).
Rubbishing the claims of a rotational CM in the state, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that he would again take over as CM for the next five years and the government would be formed in alliance with pre-poll alliance partner Shiv Sena.
On the other hand, in a no holds barred attack on its ally BJP, Raut said on Tuesday: “There’s no Dushyant Chautala here whose father is in jail. We do politics of truth in Maharashtra. If someone tries to keep us away from the power, then it will not be the politics of truth. We are seeing what’s happening and how low people can stoop”.
It was a clear reference to the way the BJP cobbled up a government in Haryana where it fell six short of the magic number, but formed the government with Dushyant Chautala’s help, who ran an election campaign on Jat consolidation and anti-BJP rhetoric. Immediately, a day after the deal was announced between the two, Ajay Chautala, the father of Dushyant was released on furlough from Tihar. Raut insinuated that Haryana was a quid pro quo, but such scenarios were absent in Maharashtra for the BJP to exploit.
In a clear hint, Raut said, they have “other options” too, which they are not keen to explore. This was a clear message to the BJP that it can form the government, regardless of the BJP’s support. This is coming in the backdrop of the offer of support by an NCP-backed Independent legislator, Shankarrao Gadakh on Monday.
The Sena, which won 56 seats in the Assembly polls, has claimed that its tally now has reached 61 with the support of five more MLAs. The Sena is bargaining hard for an equal share in the power, which means an equal number of ministries and the rotational Chief minister’s.
BJP’s Rajya Sabha member claimed that 45 Shiv Sena MLAs were in touch with the party and had assured their support to a government formed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The BJP, which has 105 seats in the 288-member House, has also garnered support of two Independent MLAs — Ravi Rana (Badnera Assembly seat in Amravati district) and Kishor Jorgewar (Chandrapur).
Also, later on Tuesday rubbishing the claims of a rotational CM in the state, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that he would again take over as CM for the next five years and the government would be formed in alliance with pre-poll alliance partner Shiv Sena.