Raut says Sena CM will be sworn in, slams BJP for ‘browbeating’ its MLAs
In the ongoing game of political uncertainty in Maharashtra, the “belligerent” Shiv Sena — relying apparently on the likely support from the Congress and the NCP — played its ace on Sunday, by claiming that it enjoyed the support of 175 MLAs in the 288-member State Assembly and its president Uddhav Thackeray would take a final call on forming next Government with its leader as the Chief Minister.
With no end in sight to the impasse between the BJP and the Shiv Sena over the sharing of power, Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut, who has virtually become the face of his party, created a sensation in the State by claiming that the Sena man would be sworn as the Chief Minister at “Shiv Tirth” — better known as Shivaji Park in north-central Mumbai.
“Till yesterday, our strength was 170 MLAs and now the figure has touched 175... I can tell you with certainty that our Chief Minister will be sworn in at Shiv Tirth. As far as options are concerned, Uddhavji has already said that our options are open. Of the options before us, the talks on one option have nearly ended. Uddhavji is about to take a decision on this option,” said Raut, slamming the BJP for browbeating Sena MLAs.
Declining to spell out as to what was the option that the Sena had settled onto, Raut said: “Uddhavji will himself talk to the media in this regard”.
Raut’s strong statement came a day ahead of NCP chief Sharad Pawar meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi to discuss the changing political equations in Maharashtra and explore the possibility of the two parties extending their support to the Shiv Sena to form a new Government in the State.
The NCP and Congress have for the past several days been mulling over the need to keep the BJP out of power in Maharashtra, an objective that can be realised by extending their support to the Shiv Sena which is showing clear signs of breaking away from the BJP and forming its Government with the support of the two major Opposition parties in the State.
Amid blitzkrieg unleashed by the Shiv Sena in the media about its likely victory in the ongoing power struggle between the saffron alliance, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed hope that the impasse between the BJP and Shiv Sena would soon end and a new Government would be formed soon. “I feel that the political impasse would end soon. Ultimately, all of us have to work in the interest of the State. Currently, the unseasonal rain-hit farmers are facing serious hardships. Under the circumstances, it is essential that a new Government is formed at the earliest. In the interest of the State, I am optimistic that a new Government will be formed in the State soon,” Fadnavis said, while talking mediapersons after studying the situation and holding a review meeting with district in Akola on Sunday morning.
Speaking separately to mediapersons at Nashik in north Maharashtra, BJP leader and Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan said: “The term of the current State Assembly will end on November 9. There is no need to worry much about Government formation. On November 9, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will meet the Shiv Sena leaders. I am confident that at the November 9, a solution will be found to the stalemate between the BJP and Sena over the formation of new Government in the State”.
Interestingly, Raut scotched the speculation doing rounds in the social media since Saturday night that as part of the emerging political “deal” being “reached” among the Sena, NCP and Congress, Pawar would become the Chief Minister of the State and Aditya Thackeray would be the Deputy Chief Minister in the new Government. “Sharad Pawar will not come to the State politics. His stature is bigger than that of the Chief Minister’s post,” he said.
Raut’s comments should be seen in the context of an article he has written in his Sunday column in the Sena’s official mouthpiece Saamana, in which he has spoken about five political options for formation of a Government in Maharashtra. Of the five options, he has stressed on two options: First, the BJP and Sena should take four steps backward, come together and form an alliance Government in the State by sharing between them the Chief Minister’s post for period of two and a half years each. Raut writes that this is a good alternative but it is not possible because of the “arrogance” of the BJP.
In the second option - based on which the Sena spokesperson appeared to have his statement on Sunday, Raut says that if the BJP - being the single largest party -- fails to win the confidence vote in the State Assembly, the Shiv Sena can stake a claim to form a new Government in the State. “The combined strength of Shiv Sena (56), NCP (54), Congress (44) and others goes up to 170. In that case, the Shiv Sena can have its Chief Minister heading the Government. The three parties will have to prepare a common minimum programme and run the Government. Like AB Vajpayee ran the Government in New Delhi, the Sena will have to run the Government by taking the two other parties along with it. This option is in the interest of Maharashtra,” Raut writes.
Like in the past few days, Raut slammed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for reneging on its promise of giving the Chief Minister’s post to the Sena for a period of two and a half years each and said that the Sena deserved to have its man as it Chief Minister. “We have spoken about sharing the Chief Minister’s post. The discussion can happen between the two parties only on this issue. If the BJP does not agree to our demand, then the Shiv Sena will form the Government on its strength... Why can’t the Sena man become the Chief Minister?. The people of the State want the Sena man as the Chief Minister. The people of the State want those individuals who lie should be made to sit at home. The people want such individuals to be thrown out of politics. The politics of lies has never succeeded in Maharashtra. Late Balsaheb Thackeray always believed in politics of truth,” the Sena spokesperson said.
Replying to a question, Raut said it was “mystery” as to why BJP’s national president Amit Shah had not intervened in the party’s impasse with the Shiv Sena. “The issue of sharing of Chief Minister’s post on a rotational basis had taken place in the presence of Amit Shah. Uddhav Thackeray has already spoken about what had transpired in that meeting. Had Amit Shah met Uddhavji, the two leaders would have discussed the issue and sorted out the matters. But, Amit Shah’s silence is mysterious,” Raut said.
Asked especially about Amit Shah, Raut said: “Amit Shah is country’s Home Minister. Our relations with Amit Shah are cordial even today”. He, however hastened to add that it was for the BJP to initiate the talks.
In remarks that may further damage the already strained relations between the Sena and BJP, Raut charged that the ruling BJP was “misusing” the official machinery to establish contact with MLAs and form a Government in the State. “The kind of means being used by the ruling BJP does not augur well for traditions of Maharashtra. I have full information about this. I don’t talk without information.... Whoever has so far missed official machinery have not succeeded and their plans have boomeranged on them. These kinds of things could go on four to five years in Maharashtra, but these things do not work now”.
In another serious charge against the BJP, Raut said: “I have also seen one more thing: Some criminals and goondas who are out of jail and enjoy the patronage of the Government, have for the last 10 days attempted to put pressure on our MLAs. But goondagardi did not continue for a long time. Even these goondas have gone into hiding now... I will expose all these things in the near future. We have the details of how was the official machinery being misused, who all the goondas were meeting and what they were telling the MLAs concerned”.
Meanwhile, an SMS message received by senior NCP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar from Raut, when the latter was talking part in a meeting of both victorious and defeated party MLAs became a talking point in the State political circles. “Through this small message, Raut has indicated that he wants to talk to me. I don’t know what he wants to tell me. But, I will talk to Raut once I am through with the things on hand,” Ajit Pawar said.
