Fadnavis confident of forming govt in Maharashtra as Sena ‘softens’ stance

MUMBAI: Amid the ongoing tussle between the BJP and Shiv Sena over power-sharing in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday asserted that the alliance partners would soon form government in the state.

He dubbed the rumours of ‘alternate formulae’ being worked out to form the state government as “entertainment”.

Fadnavis was on Wednesday re-elected leader of the state BJP legislature party, amid demand by ally Shiv Sena for the chief minister’s post on a rotational basis.

“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.

Fadnavis pointed out that after 1995, no party in the state won more than 75 seats in polls to the 288-member Assembly, but the BJP bagged 122 seats in 2014 and 105 in the just concluded elections.

Ever since results of the October 21 Assembly polls were out, Shiv Sena president Thackeray has been claiming that the 50:50 formula on sharing of power was “agreed upon” between himself, BJP president

Amit Shah and Fadnavis ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

However, Fadnavis on Tuesday denied that the Sena was ever assured the chief minister’s post for two-and-a-half years as part of the power-sharing “formula”.

However, in an apparent softening of stance, Shiv Sena

leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said the party must stay in the Bjp-led alliance in the

larger interest of Maharashtra, but without compromising on “respect”.

He said there was no hurry to form the next government and rejected speculation that the Shiv Sena may split if there was a delay in the formation of the new Council of Ministers.