Mumbai: Union minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Friday reiterated his party’s stand that there was no deal between his party and the Shiv Sena over equal distribution of portfolios, including sharing the post of chief minister.
“As per my information, there was no deal between the BJP and the Shiv Sena over equal sharing of portfolios in Maharashtra. Even the late Balasaheb Thackeray had once stressed on the arrangement between Shiv Sena-BJP. He had said that the party with more elected legislators will have a claim on the post of chief minister,” he said.
The former BJP president’s visit to the city on Friday triggered speculation in political circles that he may step in to break the BJP-Sena spat over sharing the chief minister’s post, which has been delaying government formation in the state. But he indicated he would not intervene to break the deadlock between his party and the Shiv Sena over sharing power in Maharashtra.
However, Mr Gadkari’s stand indicated that the BJP would not budge from its stand of not sharing the chief minister’s post with ally Shiv Sena.
A video of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis purportedly saying that all posts would be shared equally, is being used by the Sena to justify its demand to hold the post of chief minister for two and a half years.
However, Mr Fadnavis claimed no such deal was sealed between the BJP and the Shiv Sena ahead of the October 21 Assembly polls. Mr Fadnavis’ statement had irked the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.
While the BJP won 105 seats in the recent elections, ally Shiv Sena won 56.
