It’s in our interest to stay in alliance but things must happen as decided earlier: Sanjay Raut
In a first major development ahead of new Government formation in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was formally elected as the BJP Legislature Party (BJPLP) leader on Wednesday, even as the Shiv Sena softened its stand on its alliance with its senior saffron ally, but with a rider. Sena said, “It is in the interest of both the parties and the State that we are together, but things have to happen as was decided earlier.”
“The mandate of voters of Maharashtra is for the ‘Mahayuti’ (BJP-Sena alliance). Hence the ‘Mahayuti’ is going to form its Government soon in the State,” Fadnavis said while addressing the newly-elected BJP MLAs at the State legislature party meeting.
Reacting to Fadnavis’ statement that his party would form the next Government in alliance with the Shiv Sena, Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, “It is good thing (that he has made such a statement). It should remain so. We welcome it.”
Raut, however, reiterated there is no change in the Sena’s earlier stand on power-sharing. “Whatever the stand taken by our party president on October 24 (the day the poll results were announced) remains,” the Sena leader said.
Asked about the overtures being made by the Congress and the NCP to the Shiv Sena amid stalemate between Sena and the BJP over the sharing of power in the State, Raut said, “Be it the Congress or NCP, they will keep talking like this till the formation of a Government in the State. They will continue to indulge in kite flying. In politics, we should understand all these things. But, the fact remains the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance is intact. We are confident that the BJP will honour the commitment made to us on the power sharing. The Chief Minister has said saffron alliance will form the Government. We also want that. But, the Government will be formed in a manner that had been decided earlier.”
Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, it may be recalled, had spoken of power-sharing on a 50:50 basis, as had been “agreed upon” between the two parties ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Later, Uddhav clarified that 50:50 formula comprised sharing of the Chief Minister’s post on a rotational basis and equal sharing of the Ministries.
Indications available in the BJP camp said Fadnavis may meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in the next few days and stake claim for the formation of the Government in the State. It remains to be seen if the BJP will initiate power sharing talks with the Shiv Sena, before staking claim for forming the Government.
In a related development, Uddhav has called a meeting of his party’s legislators at the party’s headquarters “Sena Bhavan” at 12 pm on Thursday to elect its legislature party leader. Yuv Sena leader and newly elected MLA Aditya Thackeray, who was to go on a tour of Konkan region, has cancelled his tour and will remain present at Thursday’s SSLP meeting.
Meanwhile, Raut dismissed a speculation in the media that the BJP had offered deputy Chief Minister’s post and a dozen portfolios to the Shiv Sena. However, there was no official confirmation from the BJP that it had indeed made such an offer to the Shiv Sena.
Questioning the very authenticity of the speculation in the media about the BJP’s power-sharing offer to its leadership, Raut said, “We do not attach much of an importance to such speculation.”
The speculation had among other things that in the offer of 13 Ministers, including the deputy Chief Minister’s post, the BJP had asked the Shiv Sena to chose from portfolios other than the crucial ones like Home, Finance, Urban development and Revenue and that the principal ruling party would not like to give up the Assembly Speaker’s post to the Sena.
The speculation did not carry any weight since it was heavily loaded in favour of the BJP. The Shiv Sena will not let go the opportunity to demand and get its pound flesh from the BJP, during the power sharing negotiations.
Even supposing the speculation is true, the Shiv Sena will not accept the BJP’s offer of deputy Chief Ministership unless it gets a face saver for giving up its oft-repeated chief minister’s post on a rotational basis and also gets plum portfolios like Finance, PWD and Revenue - if not Home.
Earlier, speaking after being elected as the BJPLP leader, Fadnavis exhorted the people not to lend credence to the rumours to the contrary and said the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance would form a new Government in the State. “Please do not believe in any rumours. Be assured, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance Government will form a Government in Maharashtra. The saffron alliance will provide a stable Government to the State during the five years,” Fadnavis said.
Fadnavis said the people in the State had given a mandate to the saffron alliance. “We will form the saffron alliance Government in the earliest,” he said.
Earlier, BJP’s state president Chandrakant Patil proposed Fadnavis’ name for the election of BJPLP leader’s post in the presence of the BJP’s leader Narendrasinh Tomar who had been appointed as a central observer by the party for the election. Eleven MLAs, including senior minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, seconded the proposal. Fadnavis was unanimously elected as the BJPLP.
Fadnavis thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah for contributing to the saffron alliance’s electoral victory in the state and reposing faith in him to continue as the Chief Minister of the state for the second consecutive term.