'BJP's arrogance not to share CM's post led to this situation,' says Sanjay Raut

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has said his party refused to form the Maharashtra government with the BJP because of the estranged ally's 'arrogance'.

“They are willing to sit in opposition but they were reluctant to follow the 50-50 formula, to which they agreed before the polls. This was an insult to the people of Maharashtra. BJP's arrogance not to share the chief minister's post led to this situation,” he added.

Raut said if the BJP was unwilling to fulfil its promise, then there was no point in staying with the alliance. He also said that when the BJP could tie-up with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to form government in the then Jammu and Kashmir state, why the Sena could not do the same with the NCP and Congress in Maharashtra.

He also took a dim view of the governor giving 72 hours to the BJP to stake the claim, but just 24 hours to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.

Reaching out to the opposition parties, he said the Congress and NCP should bury their internal differences to come up with a 'common minimum programme' in the interest of Maharashtra.

"The Sena, NCP and Congress agree on protecting the interest of Maharashtra," he said. Hours after the BJP declined to form government in Maharashtra on Sunday, the governor asked the Sena to "indicate its willingness and ability" to stake claim.

The Sena, which is the second-largest party in the 288-member House with 56 MLAs after the BJP (105), has time till 7.30 pm on Monday to stake claim to form government. While the Sena has been making efforts to reach out to the NCP and the Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led party on Sunday said the Sena will have to walk out of the NDA first.

Sena leader Arvind Sawant, the lone party minister in the Modi Cabinet, on Monday announced his decision to quit the NDA government at the Centre.

(With PTI inputs)