Maharashtra stalemate: Uddhav Thackeray says Shiv Sena in touch with Congress and NCP

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday made it clear that his party could go the other way if the Bharatiya Janata Party does not accept its demand for an equal power-sharing formula. According to a report in The Indian Express, Uddhav said at the meeting called to elect the legislative leader that he was in touch with the Congress and NCP as well. Notably, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut also met Sharad Pawar on Thursday.

“I am in touch with BJP, Congress and NCP,” Uddhav told party leaders yesterday at the meeting, the daily reported.

The Sena chief also made it clear to his party leaders that he wants equal representation in the government including the CM’s post as decided with the BJP before the general elections.

“The equal power sharing formula was decided before Lok Sabha polls between me, Amit Shah and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. We want things to be as was decided and nothing more than that,” Uddhav said at the meeting.

No one could make a permanent claim on the CM chair, he remarked.

Though the BJP and Shiv Sena have a clear majority in the 288-member Legislative Assembly, the saffron parties are engaged in a bitter tussle over the sharing of power including for the CM’s chair.

The Shiv Sena is demanding that the BJP honour its promise made before the Lok Sabha elections. The party has been claiming that BJP president Amit Shah, CM Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav had agreed to the formula of an equal share of power in the Assembly. However, the BJP has denied making any such promise to the Shiv Sena.

Fadnavis earlier this week said that he continue as the CM of Maharashtra and offered the Deputy CM’s post to the Shiv Sena.

In the current elections, the BJP won 105 of the 164 seats it contested, maximum by any party. The Shiv Sena won 56 seats out of 124 seats it had contested. The alliance has a comfortable majority of 161 seats in the 288-member House. The NCP and Congress have 54 and 44 seats, respectively.

If the Congress and NCP decide to extend support to the Shiv Sena, the alliance will gain a majority in the House and will be in a comfortable situation to form the government.