Maha on mind, govt’s House plan is on hold

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The political stalemate between allies Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena is not just affecting the formation of government in Maharashtra but also delaying the Centre’s plans for the upcoming winter session of Parliament because top party leaders are busy with deadlocked negotiations, two BJP leaders said on condition of anonymity.

A senior BJP leader pointed out that senior party leaders who play a key role in setting the government’s agenda during a Parliament session, including home minister Amit Shah, were preoccupied with the Maharashtra negotiations. “But we have enough time. The session will start from November 18, so I think we will start our discussions the week before,” he added.

Two of the parties that support the Bjp-led grouping in Parliament said they had not been contacted so far by the National Democratic Alliance’s floor leaders to seek support for key bills that may be brought during the winter session.