Sena MLAs want Aaditya to be CM, Uddhav talks tough

Mumbai: There is a growing demand among the newly-elected Shiv Sena MLAs that Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray, who has swept the Worli Assembly seat, be named the next state chief minister. The party has called an urgent meeting of its legislators on Saturday, in which party chief Uddhav Thackeray will take note of their opinion before deciding the future course of action.

Efforts at government formation have started in the wake of the announcement of the Assembly results, and the meeting is a part of this, party sources said.

The meeting will be held at the Thackerays’ Bandra residence, Matoshree, at noon. While Mr Thackeray will address the newly-elected MLAs, he will also gauge their views on government formation, and the power-sharing formula will be among the major issues discussed.

Uddhav Thackeray has also indicated he will bargain hard with the BJP. Asked which party would get the chief minister’s post, he had said: “It is time to remind the BJP about the formula arrived at when BJP chief Amit

Shah visited my home. We had decided on a 50-50 formula for the alliance. In the Vidhan Sabha polls, we agreed to contest fewer seats than the BJP, but I cannot accommodate the BJP every time. I should allow my party to grow.”

Banners have come up in Worli area of Mumbai congratulating Aaditya Thackeray and hailing him as a future chief minister. The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member Assembly, while the Sena bagged 56.