Mumbai: Newly-elected Shiv Sena MLAs on Saturday demanded written assurance from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on sharing the chief minister’s post for two-and-a-half years each. The legislators of Uddhav Thackeray-led part also pushed for Aaditya Thackeray as Maharashtra next CM.
Digging its heels in, the party has demanded that the BJP gives the written assurance over “equal sharing of power” before any further talks are held on the formation of the next government.
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with newly-elected party MLAs at his residence, Matoshree, on Saturday where the MLAs reiterated their demand that Aaditya Thackeray be made the chief minister.
“Uddhav Thackeray has taken a tough stand over sharing of power. He has demanded a written assurance from the BJP on the same,” said party MLAs.
“We want the BJP to give us in writing on how power would be shared. As per earlier discussions, it was decided that chief ministership would be shared equally. We want the chief minister’s post for a period of two-and-a-half years. Uddhav, however, will take the final call. We have passed a one-line resolution, giving him full powers to take decisions,” Mr Sarnaik said.
According to Mr Sarnaik, Uddhav also made it clear that he had “other options”, but is not interested in exploring them since the BJP and the Sena are bound together by the “Hindutva ideology”.
Mr Sarnaik and other elected MLAs on Saturday assembled at Matoshree to attend a party meeting. MLA Abdul Sattar, who defected to the Sena from the Congress ahead of polls, also endorsed Mr Sarnaik’s view. “Uddhavji will take the final call on this, but the Shiv Sena legislators demand that Aaditya be the chief minister for 2.5 years,” said Mr Sattar, once considered a close aide of former chief minister Ashok Chavan.
The Congress and NCP leaders have also started making overtures to the Sena, though both the parties do not want to take an initiative in holding talks with the party. Reacting to Sena’s demand of sharing CM’s post for 2.5 years with the BJP, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said, “It is up to Shiv Sena to decide if they want a 5-year CM or wait for the BJP’s response on 2.5 yr CM demand. If Sena’s proposal comes to us, we will discuss with the high command.”
In the 288-member Assembly, the BJP won 105 seats, while ally Sena bagged 56. The NCP bagged 54 seats and the Congress emerged victorious in 44 seats.
