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Amit Shah: Shiv Sena's demand on CM's chair unacceptable

The BJP president said that the Shiv Sena's demands, including sharing the chief minister's post, were unacceptable to his party.

New Delhi: BJP president and Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday accused the Opposition parties in Maharashtra of playing politics over the Centre’s decision to impose President’s Rule

Mr Shah said Opposition wants to gain public sympathy by making hue and cry over the issue and said even now any party can stake claim if it gets the required numbers.

In his statement and tweets, Mr Shah said he was not in favour of mid-term elections in the state and noted that all parties have six months to stake claim to form government if they manage a majority.

In his first comments on the political crisis in the state, he rejected Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s claim that the BJP had agreed to share the CM’s post with the ally. Mr Shah said none of the Sena leaders objected when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he “at least 100 times” made public announcements that Devendra Fadnavis will lead the BJP-Shiv Sena-led Mahayuti government.

The BJP president said that the Shiv Sena’s demands, including sharing the chief minister’s post, were “unacceptable” to his party.

In the recently concluded Assembly polls, the BJP bagged 105 seats, short of a simple majority and ally Shiv Sena snapped ties over the CM’s post. The Sena has been desperately trying to stitch an alliance with ideological adversaries Congress and the NCP. While the Sena won 56, the NCP won 54 and the Congress won seats respectively in the 288-member Assembly.

Mr Shah said the governor gave the parties 18 days to stake claim for forming government and then invited them as well but none could form the government.

“Even today if any party has a majority, then it may meet the governor to stake claim...The Opposition’s reaction to President’s Rule in Maharashtra is outright politics. The honourable governor has never compromised with constitutional norms,” Mr Shah in a statement issued. He said the President’s Rule was necessitated so that Opposition could not accuse the governor of running an “indirect BJP rule” in the state and added that everybody now has six months to meet the governor for staking a claim if they have a majority.

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