Shiv Sena meets governor, Maharashtra CM meets Shah

Mumbai/New Delhi: As political stalemate in Maharashtra continued for the 10th consecutive day since results of the Assembly elections were announced, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut met governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in Mumbai on Monday, while chief minister Devendra Fadnavis flew down to Delhi to meet BJP president and Union home minister Amit Shah.

Mr Fadnavis was expected to meet PM Narendra Modi late Monday night over the government formation issue. Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP, along with party minister Ramdas Kadam, met governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan on Monday evening, and said, “The governor informed us that there is some time for government formation. He said that any political party with the majority can come forward and form the government”.

The term of the current Legislative Assembly in Maharashtra comes to an end on November 9, but with both the BJP and the Shiv Sena remaining adamant on their respective demand, and neither having the requisite numbers to form a government on its own, there is no clarity over when the next government will be sworn in.

“The Shiv Sena is not responsible for the fact that the government has not yet been formed. We are not creating any obstacles. Whoever has a majority in the House will form the government,” Mr Raut said.

From Raj Bhavan, Mr Raut immediately headed for Matroshree, the residence of party chief Uddhav Thackeray.

His meeting with the governor is being seen as Sena’s effort to put pressure on the BJP to accept its demands of power-sharing.

Mr Fadnavis, after meeting party president Amit Shah in New Delhi, said that “there is need to form a government in Maharashtra at the earliest” and that he is “confident that the government will be formed.”

Refusing to comment on the political deadlock in the state, the chief minister said, “New power equations are being raised in Maharashtra every day. But I don’t want to comment on the situation. I can only say that the new government will be formed soon.”

He did not specify whether the Sena will be part of the government.

Mr Raut, responding to speculation that the Sena may support the BJP if Mr Fadnavis is not made the chief minister, said, “We have not made any such demand, nor have we heard of any such thing.”

Sources disclosed that the BJP, which has offered deputy CM post to the Sena, could agree to give some key portfolios in the government as demanded by it ally but will not part with the CM’s post.

While the Sena wants “50:50 power sharing” in the state, including the chief minister’s post, the BJP has clarified that the CM’s post is non-negotiable.

The Sena, which has claimed that its “tally will reach 170 with the help of NCP, Congress and others,” wants either Mr Shah or Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak to its chief Uddhav Thackeray to resolve the impasse. The BJP top brass, sources said, is miffed over Mr Raut’s “reckless” statements and editorials on the issue in party’s mouthpiece, Saamna.

After his meeting with Mr Shah and later with party’s national general secretary and in charge of Maharashtra polls, Bhupendra Yadav, the Maharashtra CM held an “unscheduled meeting” with the former national president and Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari for more than half-an-hour at the latter’s residence.

Incidentally, Mr Gadkari had only campaigned in a few Assembly constituencies in his parliamentary constituency, Nagpur, as the party’s state unit did not arrange public meetings for him in other Assembly berths. Speculation is rife that the Sena wants the RSS to intervene in the matter as it is not getting any positive response from the other two Opposition parties — NCP and the Congress.

In the October 21 polls to the 288-member Assembly, the BJP won 105 seats followed by the Shiv Sena’s 56 seats, the NCP’s 54 and the Congress’ 44. The BJP claims that it has 120 MLAs on its side, including Independents and smaller parties, while the Sena claims that it has the support of “more than 170 MLAs.”

A section within the BJP’s state unit is in favour of President’s Rule in case the next government is not formed within the stipulated time. These leaders are of the view that if both the BJP and the Sena had contested separately, like they did in last polls, the BJP would have won more number of seats. According to the BJP’s poll managers, the transfer of Sena’s votes to the BJP was meagre.

Mr Fadnavis’ meeting with Mr Shah was officially meant to seek assistance from the Centre for farmers affected by the unseasonal rains in Maharashtra.