Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday cancelled his scheduled Ayodhya visit due to security concerns, party sources said.

Uddhav was to visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on November 24.

"Due to security concerns in Ayodhya, the Shiv Sena chief did not get permission from security agencies to visit the place," sources in the party said.

The delay in government formation in Maharashtra is the other reason why Shiv Sena chief cancelled his tour.&nbsp;

At a press conference on November 9, hailing the Supreme Court's decision on Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case, Uddhav had said that he will be going to Ayodhya on November 24.

The Supreme Court on November 9 directed the Centre to give five acres of suitable land to Sunni Waqf Board and at the same time make necessary arrangements for the construction of the temple by forming a trust.

On June 16 this year, Uddhav and his son Aditya Thackeray had visited Ayodhya and offered prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla shrine.

Uddhav had visited Ayodhya last year too on November 25.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday cancelled his scheduled Ayodhya visit due to security concerns, party sources said. Uddhav was to visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on November 24.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday cancelled his scheduled Ayodhya visit due to security concerns, party sources said. Uddhav was to visit Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on November 24. "Due to security concerns in Ayodhya, the Shiv Sena chief did not get permission from security agencies to visit the place," sources in the party said. The delay in government formation in Maharashtra is the other reason why Shiv Sena chief cancelled his tour. At a press conference on November 9, hailing the Supreme Court's decision on Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case, Uddhav had said that he will be going to Ayodhya on November 24. The Supreme Court on November 9 directed the Centre to give five acres of suitable land to Sunni Waqf Board and at the same time make necessary arrangements for the construction of the temple by forming a trust. On June 16 this year, Uddhav and his son Aditya Thackeray had visited Ayodhya and offered prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla shrine. Uddhav had visited Ayodhya last year too on November 25. (With inputs from ANI)

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray cancels Ayodhya visit due to security concern

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-will-stage-sadak-bandh-throughout-telangana-on-november-19-262785">BJP </a>will not contest the upcoming mayoral elections in Mumbai as they are in minority, whereas the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress are likely to field their candidates.

"BJP will not contest the Mumbai Mayor's elections as it is in minority in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and does not have the numbers. BJP does not want to have an alliance with any opposition party. In 2022, the party will have the numbers on its own," said BJP leader Ashish Shelar.

NCP Mumbai President Nawab Malik, on the other hand, said that the party will contest the Deputy Mayor's post and is most likely to support Shiv Sena for the Mayor's post. 
Meanwhile, Congress Mumbai president Eknath Gaikwad said that the party is prepared to field its candidate against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-cm-will-be-from-shiv-sena-says-senior-ncp-leader-262295">Shiv Sena</a> and is waiting for a nod from the high-command in Delhi.

"We are in opposition in the BMC. We have sorted out 3-4 candidates, out of which one will file the nomination for the Mayor's post. We have enough time as the deadline for nomination is 6 pm today," Gaikwad added.

There are 27 municipal bodies, including Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Aurangabad, where Mayoral elections are due on November 22.

BMC has a total of 227 numbers of seats. While the Shiv Sena has 94 corporators, BJP, Congress and NCP have 83, 29 and eight, respectively

BJP will not contest the upcoming mayoral elections in Mumbai as they are in minority, whereas the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress are likely to field their candidates.

BJP will not contest the upcoming mayoral elections in Mumbai as they are in minority, whereas the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress are likely to field their candidates. "BJP will not contest the Mumbai Mayor's elections as it is in minority in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and does not have the numbers. BJP does not want to have an alliance with any opposition party. In 2022, the party will have the numbers on its own," said BJP leader Ashish Shelar. NCP Mumbai President Nawab Malik, on the other hand, said that the party will contest the Deputy Mayor's post and is most likely to support Shiv Sena for the Mayor's post. Meanwhile, Congress Mumbai president Eknath Gaikwad said that the party is prepared to field its candidate against Shiv Sena and is waiting for a nod from the high-command in Delhi. "We are in opposition in the BMC. We have sorted out 3-4 candidates, out of which one will file the nomination for the Mayor's post. We have enough time as the deadline for nomination is 6 pm today," Gaikwad added. There are 27 municipal bodies, including Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Aurangabad, where Mayoral elections are due on November 22. BMC has a total of 227 numbers of seats. While the Shiv Sena has 94 corporators, BJP, Congress and NCP have 83, 29 and eight, respectively

BJP not to contest Mumbai Mayoral elections, Congress may field candidate against Shiv Sena

Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij on Saturday hit out at the Congress and the Shiv Sena amid talks of the two parties forming the government in Maharashtra, saying that they have different ideologies and would never be successful.

"They have been exposed because of their greed for power. Congress and Shiv Sena always have done politics against each other and opposed each other's ideologies," Vij told reporters here.

Commenting on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Vij said: "He is misleading the country for some time. He is the factory of speaking lies. He never presented any facts."

The Congress and the NCP are making efforts to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra where the President's Rule was imposed earlier this week.

The three parties have prepared a draft for their common minimum programme (CMP).

The Shiv Sena and the BJP, who fought the polls together, could not form the government due to differences over power-sharing.

The BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the state with 105 seats in 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44.

Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij on Saturday hit out at the Congress and the Shiv Sena amid talks of the two parties forming the government in Maharashtra, saying that they have different ideologies and would never be successful.

Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij on Saturday hit out at the Congress and the Shiv Sena amid talks of the two parties forming the government in Maharashtra, saying that they have different ideologies and would never be successful. "They have been exposed because of their greed for power. Congress and Shiv Sena always have done politics against each other and opposed each other's ideologies," Vij told reporters here. Commenting on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Vij said: "He is misleading the country for some time. He is the factory of speaking lies. He never presented any facts." The Congress and the NCP are making efforts to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra where the President's Rule was imposed earlier this week. The three parties have prepared a draft for their common minimum programme (CMP). The Shiv Sena and the BJP, who fought the polls together, could not form the government due to differences over power-sharing. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the state with 105 seats in 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44.

Congress-Shiv Sena coming together in Maharashtra for greed of power: Haryana Minister Anil Vij

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said here on Thursday that whosoever forms government in Maharashtra, the developmental projects and policies rolled by the previous regime would not be interrupted.

"I feel that there will be no difference. In Indian experience, in our democracy, the governments are changed but there is no problem with the projects and they continue," said Nitin Gadkari.

"I don't know which government will come. Any government whether NCP, Congress, BJP or Shiv Sena they will support the positive policies, the development policies and the big projects," he added.

When asked about the prospects of government formation in Maharashtra, Gadkari said that anything can happen as he drew parallels with cricket and politics. "Anything can happen in cricket and politics. Sometimes you feel you are losing the match, but the result is exactly the opposite. Also, I have just arrived from Delhi, I don't know the detailed politics of Maharashtra,&nbsp;he said."

Leaders of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena, who are having talks to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra, have prepared a draft Common Minimum Programme (CMP) which will now be sent to senior leaderships of three parties.

BJP, which emerged the single-largest party with 105 seats in 288-member assembly, expressed its inability to form the government after logjam with Shiv Sean which insisted on an equal share of power and the post of Chief Minister for half-term. The state <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-placed-under-presidents-rule-after-parties-fail-to-claim-power-261610">Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari </a>later gave time to both Shiv Sena and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-power-tussle-ncp-says-in-no-hurry-will-decide-on-supporting-shiv-sena-261653">NCP</a>&nbsp;which also expressed their inability to form the government within the given time-frame.&nbsp;

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said here on Thursday that whosoever forms government in Maharashtra, the developmental projects and policies rolled by the previous regime would not be interrupted.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said here on Thursday that whosoever forms government in Maharashtra, the developmental projects and policies rolled by the previous regime would not be interrupted. "I feel that there will be no difference. In Indian experience, in our democracy, the governments are changed but there is no problem with the projects and they continue," said Nitin Gadkari. "I don't know which government will come. Any government whether NCP, Congress, BJP or Shiv Sena they will support the positive policies, the development policies and the big projects," he added. When asked about the prospects of government formation in Maharashtra, Gadkari said that anything can happen as he drew parallels with cricket and politics. "Anything can happen in cricket and politics. Sometimes you feel you are losing the match, but the result is exactly the opposite. Also, I have just arrived from Delhi, I don't know the detailed politics of Maharashtra, he said." Leaders of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena, who are having talks to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra, have prepared a draft Common Minimum Programme (CMP) which will now be sent to senior leaderships of three parties. BJP, which emerged the single-largest party with 105 seats in 288-member assembly, expressed its inability to form the government after logjam with Shiv Sean which insisted on an equal share of power and the post of Chief Minister for half-term. The state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari later gave time to both Shiv Sena and NCP which also expressed their inability to form the government within the given time-frame.

Whichever group forms govt in Maharashtra, developmental work will continue: Nitin Gadkari

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that his party wants to rule Maharashtra for the next 25 years.

''We want to rule Maharashtra for 25 years and you are talking about five years,'' Shiv Sena leader was quoted as saying when asked&nbsp;whether the party is eyeing the post of chief ministership for 2.5 or 5 years.

He also said that Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP have finalised the draft of the Common Minimum Programme in the interests of the people of the state after several consultations over the last 48 hours.

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Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on being asked 'if Shiv Sena CM will be for 5 years or CM will be for 2.5 years each from NCP and Shiv Sena?': Hum toh chahte hain aane wale 25 saal tak Shiv Sena ka CM rahe, aap 5 saal ki baat kyun karte ho. <a href="https://t.co/ZH69LUDoTG">pic.twitter.com/ZH69LUDoTG</a>
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Three weeks after election results were announced on October 24, the new government is likely to be formed in Maharahstra soon.&nbsp;NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Friday said that the process to form government in the state has begun and it would run for full 5 years.

Meanwhile, NCP leader Nawab Malik said that the CM will be from Shiv Sena. "Shiv Sena has been insulted, so it is our responsibility to fight for their self-respect", Malik added.

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Nawab Malik, NCP: Sawaal baar-baar poocha ja raha hai ki Shiv Sena ka CM hoga kya?CM ke post ko leke hi Shiv Sena-BJP ke beech mein vivaad hua, toh nishchit roop se CM Shiv Sena ka hoga. Shiv Sena ko apmanit kiya gaya hai, unka swabhimaan banaye rakhna hamari zimmedari banti hai. <a href="https://t.co/qHiVoFoRlR">pic.twitter.com/qHiVoFoRlR</a>
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On November 12, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-placed-under-presidents-rule-after-parties-fail-to-claim-power-261610">President's rule </a>was implemented in Maharashtra after BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP failed to form government in the time period allotted to them.

In the Assembly elections that were held on October 21 in Maharashtra, BJP won the maximum number of seats 105. Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress won 56, 54 and 44 seats respectively. A majority of 144 seats is required to form government in Maharashtra.&nbsp;

(with inputs from agencies)

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that his party wants to rule Maharashtra for the next 25 years. ''We want to rule Maharashtra for 25 years and you are talking about five years,'' Shiv Sena leader was quoted as saying when asked whether the party is eyeing the post of chief ministership for 2.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that his party wants to rule Maharashtra for the next 25 years. ''We want to rule Maharashtra for 25 years and you are talking about five years,'' Shiv Sena leader was quoted as saying when asked whether the party is eyeing the post of chief ministership for 2.5 or 5 years. He also said that Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP have finalised the draft of the Common Minimum Programme in the interests of the people of the state after several consultations over the last 48 hours. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on being asked 'if Shiv Sena CM will be for 5 years or CM will be for 2.5 years each from NCP and Shiv Sena?': Hum toh chahte hain aane wale 25 saal tak Shiv Sena ka CM rahe, aap 5 saal ki baat kyun karte ho. pic.twitter.com/ZH69LUDoTG — ANI (@ANI) November 15, 2019 × Three weeks after election results were announced on October 24, the new government is likely to be formed in Maharahstra soon. NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Friday said that the process to form government in the state has begun and it would run for full 5 years. Meanwhile, NCP leader Nawab Malik said that the CM will be from Shiv Sena. "Shiv Sena has been insulted, so it is our responsibility to fight for their self-respect", Malik added. Nawab Malik, NCP: Sawaal baar-baar poocha ja raha hai ki Shiv Sena ka CM hoga kya?CM ke post ko leke hi Shiv Sena-BJP ke beech mein vivaad hua, toh nishchit roop se CM Shiv Sena ka hoga. Shiv Sena ko apmanit kiya gaya hai, unka swabhimaan banaye rakhna hamari zimmedari banti hai. pic.twitter.com/qHiVoFoRlR — ANI (@ANI) November 15, 2019 × On November 12, President's rule was implemented in Maharashtra after BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP failed to form government in the time period allotted to them. In the Assembly elections that were held on October 21 in Maharashtra, BJP won the maximum number of seats 105. Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress won 56, 54 and 44 seats respectively. A majority of 144 seats is required to form government in Maharashtra. (with inputs from agencies)

'We want to rule Maharashtra for 25 years,' says Sanjay Raut as Shiv Sena closes in on deal with Congress, NCP

As talks are going on between Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form a non-BJP government in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/we-want-a-cm-from-shiv-sena-for-25-years-sanjay-raut-on-maharashtra-power-struggle-262273">Maharashtra</a>, NCP leader Nawab Malik said that the chief minister will be from Shiv Sena only.

"Sawaal baar-baar poocha ja raha hai ki Shiv Sena ka CM hoga kya?CM ke post ko leke hi Shiv Sena-BJP ke beech mein vivaad hua, toh nishchit roop se CM Shiv Sena ka hoga. Shiv Sena ko apmanit kiya gaya hai, unka swabhimaan banaye rakhna hamari zimmedari banti hai. (Question is being asked continuously whether the Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena? Differences came up between Shiv Sena and BJP due to the Chief Minister's post, so definitely Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena has been insulted, it is our responsibility to maintain their self-respect)," Malik told ANI here.

Malik said that the leaders of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP have finalized its draft of the Common Minimum Programme and the said draft has already been sent to the top leadership of all three political parties and now it is under their consideration." Soon there will be a decision on it," Malik said.

"Our Common Minimum Programme basically includes the issue of farmers, loan waiver, Job creation to youngsters etc," he added.

Malik said that looking at the current farmers'&nbsp;issues in Maharashtra, the parties are of the view of forming a "stable government as soon as possible."

Asked about former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's&nbsp;comment that there is no alternative than BJP in Maharashtra to form the government, Malik said, "Devendra Fadnavis is now a former chief minister and he is reacting like a lost General of the Army who is falsely encouraging his Army to fight in the battlefield. There is no chance of BJP forming government in the state because BJP doesn't have the required number to form the government."

On Thursday, leaders from Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress held a meeting to finalise its draft of Common Minimum Programme.

Maharashtra came under President's Rule after no party was able to show numbers to form a government after the assembly polls. The BJP and Shiv Sena, who fought the polls together, got an absolute majority but could not form a government due to differences over power-sharing.BJP, which emerged the single-largest party with 105 seats in 288-member assembly, expressed its inability to form the government. The state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari later asked Shiv Sena and NCP about their intent and ability to form the government. Both parties sought more time. NCP and Congress fought the elections in an alliance.&nbsp;

As talks are going on between Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra, NCP leader Nawab Malik said that the chief minister will be from Shiv Sena only.

As talks are going on between Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra, NCP leader Nawab Malik said that the chief minister will be from Shiv Sena only. "Sawaal baar-baar poocha ja raha hai ki Shiv Sena ka CM hoga kya?CM ke post ko leke hi Shiv Sena-BJP ke beech mein vivaad hua, toh nishchit roop se CM Shiv Sena ka hoga. Shiv Sena ko apmanit kiya gaya hai, unka swabhimaan banaye rakhna hamari zimmedari banti hai. (Question is being asked continuously whether the Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena? Differences came up between Shiv Sena and BJP due to the Chief Minister's post, so definitely Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena. Shiv Sena has been insulted, it is our responsibility to maintain their self-respect)," Malik told ANI here. Malik said that the leaders of Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP have finalized its draft of the Common Minimum Programme and the said draft has already been sent to the top leadership of all three political parties and now it is under their consideration." Soon there will be a decision on it," Malik said. "Our Common Minimum Programme basically includes the issue of farmers, loan waiver, Job creation to youngsters etc," he added. Malik said that looking at the current farmers' issues in Maharashtra, the parties are of the view of forming a "stable government as soon as possible." Asked about former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's comment that there is no alternative than BJP in Maharashtra to form the government, Malik said, "Devendra Fadnavis is now a former chief minister and he is reacting like a lost General of the Army who is falsely encouraging his Army to fight in the battlefield. There is no chance of BJP forming government in the state because BJP doesn't have the required number to form the government." On Thursday, leaders from Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress held a meeting to finalise its draft of Common Minimum Programme. Maharashtra came under President's Rule after no party was able to show numbers to form a government after the assembly polls. The BJP and Shiv Sena, who fought the polls together, got an absolute majority but could not form a government due to differences over power-sharing.BJP, which emerged the single-largest party with 105 seats in 288-member assembly, expressed its inability to form the government. The state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari later asked Shiv Sena and NCP about their intent and ability to form the government. Both parties sought more time. NCP and Congress fought the elections in an alliance.

Maharashtra CM will be from Shiv Sena, says senior NCP leader

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah should have raised objections when Uddhav Thackeray announced that the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra will be from Shiv Sena during the election rallies.

He also slammed the Home Minister for not briefing Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the closed-door talks which were held between Shah and Thackeray pertaining to the power-sharing.

"I agree that PM Modi used to project Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister of Maharashtra but at the same time, Uddhav Thackeray was also telling the public that the next chief minister will be from Shiv Sena. Then at that time why didn't Amit Shah raised any objection. He did not say anything during the Lok Sabha election then why is he having a problem in Vidhan Sabha elections," the Shiv Sena said while speaking to media in Mumbai.

"Amit Bhai use to say that the matters discussed in the closed room should not be discussed outside. But when they do not comply with mutual decisions, the matters become the topic of discussion outdoors. Shah should have briefed the Prime Minister. Our Prime Minister has a big heart and the matter would not have become worse if he was updated with the latest talks," he added.

The statement from Raut came just a day after Amit Shah stated that it will be inappropriate to disclose the deliberations that were held "behind closed doors" between his party and Shiv Sena over government formation in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra came under the president's rule on Tuesday. The President signed the notification following the recommendation of the Union Cabinet, which acted on the report from Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

The Governor had recommended the imposition of president's rule in the wake of the political stalemate over the government formation in the state. Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray emerged as the second-largest party in last month's Maharashtra assembly elections with 56 seats. The two parties, who fought the elections together, were at loggerheads over power-sharing.

The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 105 seats in the 288-member state assembly. Shiv Sena insisted that the two parties had a '50-50' power-sharing agreement before the elections. Fadnavis said that Shiv Sena was not promised the chief ministerial post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was sealed before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah should have raised objections when Uddhav Thackeray announced that the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra will be from Shiv Sena during the election rallies.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah should have raised objections when Uddhav Thackeray announced that the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra will be from Shiv Sena during the election rallies. He also slammed the Home Minister for not briefing Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the closed-door talks which were held between Shah and Thackeray pertaining to the power-sharing. "I agree that PM Modi used to project Devendra Fadnavis as the next chief minister of Maharashtra but at the same time, Uddhav Thackeray was also telling the public that the next chief minister will be from Shiv Sena. Then at that time why didn't Amit Shah raised any objection. He did not say anything during the Lok Sabha election then why is he having a problem in Vidhan Sabha elections," the Shiv Sena said while speaking to media in Mumbai. "Amit Bhai use to say that the matters discussed in the closed room should not be discussed outside. But when they do not comply with mutual decisions, the matters become the topic of discussion outdoors. Shah should have briefed the Prime Minister. Our Prime Minister has a big heart and the matter would not have become worse if he was updated with the latest talks," he added. The statement from Raut came just a day after Amit Shah stated that it will be inappropriate to disclose the deliberations that were held "behind closed doors" between his party and Shiv Sena over government formation in Maharashtra. Maharashtra came under the president's rule on Tuesday. The President signed the notification following the recommendation of the Union Cabinet, which acted on the report from Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. The Governor had recommended the imposition of president's rule in the wake of the political stalemate over the government formation in the state. Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray emerged as the second-largest party in last month's Maharashtra assembly elections with 56 seats. The two parties, who fought the elections together, were at loggerheads over power-sharing. The BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 105 seats in the 288-member state assembly. Shiv Sena insisted that the two parties had a '50-50' power-sharing agreement before the elections. Fadnavis said that Shiv Sena was not promised the chief ministerial post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was sealed before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

'Why didn't Amit Shah object when Uddhav announced that next CM will be from Sena?' asks Sanjay Raut

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, his senior Congress colleague and state party chief Balasaheb Thorat will be paying a visit to Sanjay Raut who is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mumbai.

Congress leader Manikrao Thakre will also be accompanying them to meet the Shiv Sena leader. Raut was admitted to the Lilavati hospital on November 11 following a complaint of chest pain. Earlier on Tuesday, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also met him at the hospital.

He has been instrumental in reaching out to various leaders in a bid to garner support for Shiv Sena for the government formation in Maharashtra.

Over a fortnight after the declaration of Assembly election results, Maharashtra came under the President`s Rule on Tuesday as the political stalemate continued in the state.

Shiv Sena, which has been keen on a party nominee becoming chief minister, moved the Supreme Court against Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari`s decision to not extend the time given to it to prove its ability to form the government in the state.

Senior Sena leader and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Manohar Joshi and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar have also met Raut in the hospital.

NCP and Congress have indicated that they were not in a hurry to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra in the wake of the imposition of President`s Rule and said they will sort out all issues among themselves and their allies before talking to Shiv Sena.

Congress and NCP had fought the assembly polls together. BJP had emerged as the single-largest party with 105 seats and Shiv Sena had finished second with 56 seats in 288-member assembly.&nbsp;

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, his senior Congress colleague and state party chief Balasaheb Thorat will be paying a visit to Sanjay Raut who is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mumbai.

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, his senior Congress colleague and state party chief Balasaheb Thorat will be paying a visit to Sanjay Raut who is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mumbai. Congress leader Manikrao Thakre will also be accompanying them to meet the Shiv Sena leader. Raut was admitted to the Lilavati hospital on November 11 following a complaint of chest pain. Earlier on Tuesday, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also met him at the hospital. He has been instrumental in reaching out to various leaders in a bid to garner support for Shiv Sena for the government formation in Maharashtra. Over a fortnight after the declaration of Assembly election results, Maharashtra came under the President`s Rule on Tuesday as the political stalemate continued in the state. Shiv Sena, which has been keen on a party nominee becoming chief minister, moved the Supreme Court against Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari`s decision to not extend the time given to it to prove its ability to form the government in the state. Senior Sena leader and former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Manohar Joshi and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar have also met Raut in the hospital. NCP and Congress have indicated that they were not in a hurry to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra in the wake of the imposition of President`s Rule and said they will sort out all issues among themselves and their allies before talking to Shiv Sena. Congress and NCP had fought the assembly polls together. BJP had emerged as the single-largest party with 105 seats and Shiv Sena had finished second with 56 seats in 288-member assembly.

Congress' Ashok Chavan to visit Sanjay Raut in hospital

Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal meet party chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Tuesday.

A decision to form the government will be taken after the meeting concludes.

Addressing a press conference, NCP leader Nawab Malik&nbsp;said Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari called NCP leaders to stake claim on Monday and gave time till 8:30 pm on Tuesday.

"Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal are coming to Mumbai and will meet Pawar at 5 pm. The decision will be taken after their discussion."

"The party believes that it is not possible to form an alternative government without the coming together of the three parties (Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena). If the three do not come together, there cannot be a stable government in Maharashtra," he said.

Malik said all 54 MLAs of the party attended the party meeting on Tuesday.

"It has been decided that looking at the uncertainty in the state, we will empower Sharad Pawarji to take a decision on alternative government. A committee will be formed for the same which will be led by Sharad Pawar," he added.

The NCP has 54 MLAs in the state assembly while the Congress has 44.

BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party in Maharashtra assembly polls with 105 seats, declined to form the government following differences with Shiv Sena on sharing power. The majority mark in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly is 145.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal meet party chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Tuesday. A decision to form the government will be taken after the meeting concludes.

Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal meet party chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Tuesday. A decision to form the government will be taken after the meeting concludes. Addressing a press conference, NCP leader Nawab Malik said Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari called NCP leaders to stake claim on Monday and gave time till 8:30 pm on Tuesday. "Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge and KC Venugopal are coming to Mumbai and will meet Pawar at 5 pm. The decision will be taken after their discussion." "The party believes that it is not possible to form an alternative government without the coming together of the three parties (Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena). If the three do not come together, there cannot be a stable government in Maharashtra," he said. Malik said all 54 MLAs of the party attended the party meeting on Tuesday. "It has been decided that looking at the uncertainty in the state, we will empower Sharad Pawarji to take a decision on alternative government. A committee will be formed for the same which will be led by Sharad Pawar," he added. The NCP has 54 MLAs in the state assembly while the Congress has 44. BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party in Maharashtra assembly polls with 105 seats, declined to form the government following differences with Shiv Sena on sharing power. The majority mark in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly is 145.

Maharashtra: Congress leaders meet Sharad Pawar to discuss government formation

Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises and Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant on Monday quit Union cabinet. Sawant announced on microblogging site Twitter that he would be resigning from the Union Cabinet.

Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises and Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant on Monday quit Union cabinet. Sawant announced on microblogging site Twitter that he would be resigning from the Union Cabinet. He also said that he would be holding a press conference at 11am in Delhi today to explain the reasons for his resignation. शिवसेनेची बाजू सत्याची आहे. अशा खोट्या वातावरणात दिल्लीतील सरकार मध्ये तरी का रहायचे? आणि म्हणूनच मी केंद्रीय मंत्री पदाचा राजीनामा देत आहे. या संदर्भात आज सकाळी ११.०० वा. दिल्ली येथे मी पत्रकार परिषद (Press Conference) घेणार आहे. — Arvind Sawant (@AGSawant) November 11, 2019 × Sawant in his tweets made it clear that he was quitting the government due to the end of the alliance between BJP-Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. Sawant said that certain promises had been made as terms of the alliance and those had not only not been fulfilled but also denied as having made. He, therefore, decided to exit the government. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday invited the Shiv Sena to stake a claim in the government formation of Maharashtra. Koshyari asked Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde to indicate the willingness and ability of his party to form the government in Maharashtra. This comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party, earlier in the day, decided not to be part of government formation in Maharashtra.

'I am resigning from my ministerial post': Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant quits Modi cabinet 

BJP leader Prasad Lal on Monday asked Shiv Sena to prove the majority as it has decided to part ways with NDA alliance.

"Shiv Sena should prove their majority if they can. We have cleared our stand yesterday. We have refused to form the government as Shiv Sena declined to support us. Now, Shiv Sena should tell its future strategy," he told reporters here.

After BJP failed to form the government, Shiv Sena was<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-governor-invites-shive-sena-to-stake-claim-in-government-formation-after-bjp-refuses-261219"> asked by Governor</a> Bhagat Singh Koshiyari to express its ability for government formation.

Shiv Sena also hinted at getting support from Congress and NCP owing to the current political situation in Maharashtra.

NCP has 54 MLAs while its alliance partner Congress has 44. If Shiv Sena, which had 56 legislators, gets the support of NCP and Congress, it will easily cross the majority mark of 145 in 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.

The NDA alliance received a majority in Maharashtra after the BJP won 105 and Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats.

BJP leader Prasad Lal on Monday asked Shiv Sena to prove the majority as it has decided to part ways with NDA alliance. "Shiv Sena should prove their majority if they can.

BJP leader Prasad Lal on Monday asked Shiv Sena to prove the majority as it has decided to part ways with NDA alliance. "Shiv Sena should prove their majority if they can. We have cleared our stand yesterday. We have refused to form the government as Shiv Sena declined to support us. Now, Shiv Sena should tell its future strategy," he told reporters here. After BJP failed to form the government, Shiv Sena was asked by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari to express its ability for government formation. Shiv Sena also hinted at getting support from Congress and NCP owing to the current political situation in Maharashtra. NCP has 54 MLAs while its alliance partner Congress has 44. If Shiv Sena, which had 56 legislators, gets the support of NCP and Congress, it will easily cross the majority mark of 145 in 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. The NDA alliance received a majority in Maharashtra after the BJP won 105 and Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats.

BJP leader Prasad Lal asks Shiv Sena to prove majority

Even as uncertainty continued over government formation in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that Congress is not the ''enemy of the state''.&nbsp;

''Congress is not the enemy of the State. All parties have differences on some issues,'' he was quoted as saying.

If nobody is ready to form the government, Shiv Sena can take responsibility, he added.

Raut's comments came amid rumours of the Nationalist Congress Party's readiness to extend support to Shiv Sena to form a government while the Congress is likely to lend outside support to the alliance.

With no solution at sight on government formation, incumbent chief minister Devendra Fadnavis resigned as the Maharashtra chief minister on Saturday and launched a fierce attack on ally Shiv Sena. Uddhav Thackeray launched a counter-attack and both called each other liars.

The Maharashtra election results were announced on October 24. It has been 17 days since, and alliance partners BJP and Shiv Sena, who got a clear mandate to form the government, have failed to arrive at a consensus.

Even as uncertainty continued over government formation in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that Congress is not the ''enemy of the state''.

Even as uncertainty continued over government formation in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that Congress is not the ''enemy of the state''. ''Congress is not the enemy of the State. All parties have differences on some issues,'' he was quoted as saying. If nobody is ready to form the government, Shiv Sena can take responsibility, he added. Raut's comments came amid rumours of the Nationalist Congress Party's readiness to extend support to Shiv Sena to form a government while the Congress is likely to lend outside support to the alliance. With no solution at sight on government formation, incumbent chief minister Devendra Fadnavis resigned as the Maharashtra chief minister on Saturday and launched a fierce attack on ally Shiv Sena. Uddhav Thackeray launched a counter-attack and both called each other liars. The Maharashtra election results were announced on October 24. It has been 17 days since, and alliance partners BJP and Shiv Sena, who got a clear mandate to form the government, have failed to arrive at a consensus.

Congress is not the enemy of the State: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday invited the Shiv Sena to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-bjp-decides-not-to-stake-claim-in-government-formation-261207">stake a claim in the government formation of Maharashtra</a>.&nbsp;

Koshyari asked Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde to indicate the willingness and ability of his party to form the government in Maharashtra.

This comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party, earlier in the day, decided not to be part of government formation in Maharashtra.&nbsp;

BJP Maharashtra unit chief announced the same after meeting Koshyari today.&nbsp;

"BJP, Shiv Sena, RPI, and other parties formed the coalition before the assembly polls. People have given the mandate to our alliance to form the government. And that is why the Governor invited us. But the Shiv Sena has not shown interest in forming the government. So now we will not form the government. We have conveyed this to the Governor," he said as reported by news agency ANI.&nbsp;

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"This mandate was to work together and if the Shiv Sena wants to disrespect the mandate and form the government with the Congress and the NCP, then they have our good wishes," added Patil.

Maharashtra Governor Koshyari on Saturday had asked acting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to "indicate the willingness and ability of his party to form the government in Maharashtra".

The party's core committee met twice today to discuss the Governor's invitation to BJP to form the government in the state.

The term of state assembly ended yesterday. The BJP had remerged as the single largest party in the assembly polls winning 105 seats while the Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday invited the Shiv Sena to stake a claim in the government formation of Maharashtra. Koshyari asked Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde to indicate the willingness and ability of his party to form the government in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday invited the Shiv Sena to stake a claim in the government formation of Maharashtra. Koshyari asked Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde to indicate the willingness and ability of his party to form the government in Maharashtra. This comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party, earlier in the day, decided not to be part of government formation in Maharashtra. BJP Maharashtra unit chief announced the same after meeting Koshyari today. "BJP, Shiv Sena, RPI, and other parties formed the coalition before the assembly polls. People have given the mandate to our alliance to form the government. And that is why the Governor invited us. But the Shiv Sena has not shown interest in forming the government. So now we will not form the government. We have conveyed this to the Governor," he said as reported by news agency ANI. Office of Maharashtra Governor: Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari today asked the leader of elected members of the second largest party, the Shiv Sena, Eknath Shinde to indicate the willingness and ability of his party to form the government in Maharashtra. pic.twitter.com/bdfKgHPj45 — ANI (@ANI) November 10, 2019 × "This mandate was to work together and if the Shiv Sena wants to disrespect the mandate and form the government with the Congress and the NCP, then they have our good wishes," added Patil. Maharashtra Governor Koshyari on Saturday had asked acting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to "indicate the willingness and ability of his party to form the government in Maharashtra". The party's core committee met twice today to discuss the Governor's invitation to BJP to form the government in the state. The term of state assembly ended yesterday. The BJP had remerged as the single largest party in the assembly polls winning 105 seats while the Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats. (With inputs from ANI)

Maharashtra Governor invites Shiv Sena to stake claim in government formation after BJP refuses

Devendra Fadnavis has resigned as the Maharashtra chief minister, a day before the current state assembly term ends. He has been asked to continue as the caretaker chief minister.

After nearly a fortnight's impasse over the formation of a new government in India's third-largest state Maharashtra. The BJP and the Shiv Sena haven't progressed further on staking claim to form a new government.&nbsp;

This may lead the state towards the President's rule if none of the parties is unable to elect a leader as chief minister before the assembly is dissolved on November 9.

The BJP and the Shiv Sena have won the state election together as an alliance, but, the post-election political manoeuvering by the Shiv Sena has plunged Maharashtra into uncertainty.

Fighting for the chief minister's job, the Shiv Sena wants a policy of rotation, but the BJP doesn't.

People gave the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance a clear majority of 161 seats in the 288-member house.&nbsp;

The other alliance, of the NCP-Congress, got only 98 seats.

The role of The Governor of Maharashtra &nbsp;Bhagat Singh Koshyari has become crucial.

He has asked Devendra Fadnavis to continue as caretaker cm for fifteen days.

The governor also has the options to invite the largest single party, or an alliance to form the government.

The Shiv Sena has been accusing the BJP of deliberately pushing Maharashtra towards president’s rule.

The Shiv Sena has said that it has the numbers through alternative options to form the government in Maharashtra.

Devendra Fadnavis has resigned as the Maharashtra chief minister, a day before the current state assembly term ends. He has been asked to continue as the caretaker chief minister.

Devendra Fadnavis has resigned as the Maharashtra chief minister, a day before the current state assembly term ends. He has been asked to continue as the caretaker chief minister. After nearly a fortnight's impasse over the formation of a new government in India's third-largest state Maharashtra. The BJP and the Shiv Sena haven't progressed further on staking claim to form a new government. This may lead the state towards the President's rule if none of the parties is unable to elect a leader as chief minister before the assembly is dissolved on November 9. The BJP and the Shiv Sena have won the state election together as an alliance, but, the post-election political manoeuvering by the Shiv Sena has plunged Maharashtra into uncertainty. Fighting for the chief minister's job, the Shiv Sena wants a policy of rotation, but the BJP doesn't. People gave the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance a clear majority of 161 seats in the 288-member house. The other alliance, of the NCP-Congress, got only 98 seats. The role of The Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari has become crucial. He has asked Devendra Fadnavis to continue as caretaker cm for fifteen days. The governor also has the options to invite the largest single party, or an alliance to form the government. The Shiv Sena has been accusing the BJP of deliberately pushing Maharashtra towards president’s rule. The Shiv Sena has said that it has the numbers through alternative options to form the government in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra government formation: Situation hints towards President's rule

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis resigned as the CM of Maharashtra on Friday.&nbsp;Fadnavis submitted his resignation to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at the latter's residence Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.&nbsp;

Fadnavis will, however, be the caretaker CM of Maharashtra till the next government is not formed. He is not entitled to take any governance-related decision.

Addressing a press conference after his resignation, Fadnavis again claimed that it was never decided that for 2.5 years each the CM post will be shared. "There was never a decision on this issue. Even Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari said this was never decided," Fadnavis said.&nbsp;

On BJP's alliance with Shiv Sena, Fadnavis said that he tried calling Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray but he didn't pick up the call.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, NCP chief Pawar again clarified that BJP and Shiv Sena got the mandate and they should form the government. However, Shiv Sena's senior party Sanjay Raut leader again met Pawar at his residence.&nbsp;

On November 7, Shiv Sena shifted its MLAs to a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/as-power-battle-intensifies-in-maharashtra-shiv-sena-shifts-mla-to-hotel-260615">hotel in Mumbai</a>. Political parties shifting elected members to a hotel or resort is an exercise that is observed in India in recent times to avoid poaching. Reports also appeared that senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari taking over as CM but Gadkari later cleared the air that he is not willing to take that job. Gadkari is also seen as someone to break the impasse between the Sena and BJP.

The state of Maharashtra is facing a political crisis as long-time allies Shiv Sena and BJP have locked horns over the post of CM. Shiv Sena claims that both the parties agreed before the elections on the 50:50 formula where CM's of both the parties will have an equal tenure. However, BJP denies this argument and backs Devendra Fadnavis as CM for next term.&nbsp;

A demand to make <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/aaditya-thackeray-will-take-oath-as-maharashtra-cm-claims-his-confidante-260249">Aaditya Thackeray</a>, son of Uddhav, as the CM has also been rising from the Shiv Sena party leaders.

As per the results of the 2019 Assembly elections, BJP is the biggest party by some distance and together with Shiv Sena can form the government but both parties have not able to agree on a power sharing agreement.&nbsp;

(with inputs from ANI) 
&nbsp;

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis resigned as the CM of Maharashtra on Friday. Fadnavis submitted his resignation to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at the latter's residence Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis resigned as the CM of Maharashtra on Friday. Fadnavis submitted his resignation to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at the latter's residence Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. Fadnavis will, however, be the caretaker CM of Maharashtra till the next government is not formed. He is not entitled to take any governance-related decision. Addressing a press conference after his resignation, Fadnavis again claimed that it was never decided that for 2.5 years each the CM post will be shared. "There was never a decision on this issue. Even Amit Shah and Nitin Gadkari said this was never decided," Fadnavis said. On BJP's alliance with Shiv Sena, Fadnavis said that he tried calling Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray but he didn't pick up the call. Earlier in the day, NCP chief Pawar again clarified that BJP and Shiv Sena got the mandate and they should form the government. However, Shiv Sena's senior party Sanjay Raut leader again met Pawar at his residence. On November 7, Shiv Sena shifted its MLAs to a hotel in Mumbai. Political parties shifting elected members to a hotel or resort is an exercise that is observed in India in recent times to avoid poaching. Reports also appeared that senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari taking over as CM but Gadkari later cleared the air that he is not willing to take that job. Gadkari is also seen as someone to break the impasse between the Sena and BJP. The state of Maharashtra is facing a political crisis as long-time allies Shiv Sena and BJP have locked horns over the post of CM. Shiv Sena claims that both the parties agreed before the elections on the 50:50 formula where CM's of both the parties will have an equal tenure. However, BJP denies this argument and backs Devendra Fadnavis as CM for next term. A demand to make Aaditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav, as the CM has also been rising from the Shiv Sena party leaders. As per the results of the 2019 Assembly elections, BJP is the biggest party by some distance and together with Shiv Sena can form the government but both parties have not able to agree on a power sharing agreement. (with inputs from ANI)

Devendra Fadnavis resigns as chief minister of Maharashtra

Amid the uncertainty over the formation of a new government in Maharashtra, a delegation of BJP leaders led by the party`s state chief Chandrakant Patil is slated to meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Thursday.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has been elected as the BJP Legislative Party leader in Maharashtra, is not a part of the delegation.

The BJP and Shiv Sena, who are partners in the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, had fought the assembly polls together. While the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the recently held elections, it is yet to stake claim for government formation.

The delay in government formation has been caused by differences in the two parties on power-sharing.

In the recently-held assembly polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats while Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats in the 288-member Vidhan Sabha.

Even after getting the required numbers to form the government, there has been a delay in cobbling up a coalition owing to differences between the two parties on power-sharing.

Shiv Sena has insisted that the two parties had a `50-50` power-sharing agreement before the elections. But Fadnavis has said that Shiv Sena was not promised the chief ministerial post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was sealed before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Amid the uncertainty over the formation of a new government in Maharashtra, a delegation of BJP leaders led by the party`s state chief Chandrakant Patil is slated to meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Thursday.

Amid the uncertainty over the formation of a new government in Maharashtra, a delegation of BJP leaders led by the party`s state chief Chandrakant Patil is slated to meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Thursday. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has been elected as the BJP Legislative Party leader in Maharashtra, is not a part of the delegation. The BJP and Shiv Sena, who are partners in the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, had fought the assembly polls together. While the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the recently held elections, it is yet to stake claim for government formation. The delay in government formation has been caused by differences in the two parties on power-sharing. In the recently-held assembly polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats while Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats in the 288-member Vidhan Sabha. Even after getting the required numbers to form the government, there has been a delay in cobbling up a coalition owing to differences between the two parties on power-sharing. Shiv Sena has insisted that the two parties had a `50-50` power-sharing agreement before the elections. But Fadnavis has said that Shiv Sena was not promised the chief ministerial post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was sealed before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Tussle over government formation continues as BJP delegation to meet Governor in Maharashtra

The ongoing tussle between Shiv Sena and BJP over forming government in Maharashtra has taken a new turn on Thursday after Sena decided to shift its MLAs to a hotel in Mumbai.&nbsp;

Shifting elected members to a hotel or resort has been observed in India in recent times in order to avoid poaching by other parties. This move is taken as any one party fails to get the required numbers to form the government.&nbsp;

The decision was taken after Shiv Sena MLAs met party chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence "Matoshree" on Thursday. "We (Shiv Sena MLAs) will be staying at Hotel Rangsharda for next 2 days. We will do whatever Uddhav Sahab asks us to do," said Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil, reports ANI.

Today, a delegation of BJP led by party's state head Chandrakant Patil also met the Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Reports also floated today of union minister Nitin Gadkari taking over as CM post. Gadkari later clarified that he has no intention of becoming the CM of Maharashtra but added that government in Maharashtra will be formed under the leadership of incumbent CM Devendra Fadnavis. Gadkari is also seen as a mediator between BJP and Shiv Sena.&nbsp;

In the 288-member Assembly in Maharashtra, 145 seats are required by any one group to form the government. The Shiv Sena and BJP entered into an alliance during elections in Maharashtra but after the elections got over both parties are locked horn over the post of the CM. On one hand, BJP claims that no 50:50 formula was decided before the elections, while Shiv Sena says that both parties decided to enter into an alliance with an equal tenure of CMs of their respective parties.&nbsp;

The demand to make Uddhav's son Aaditya Thackeray as CM is also rising within the Sena. &nbsp;

In the Maharashtra Assembly elections, BJP got the maximum seats: 105 and Shiv Sena won 56 seats. Both parties are well short of a majority but can form a government if they come together.&nbsp;

On Wednesday,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/sharad-pawar-rules-out-possibility-of-alliance-with-shiv-sena-says-our-mandate-is-to-sit-in-opposition-260311">Sharad Pawar</a>, chief of NCP, which won 56 seats, has also clarified that his party will not come into an alliance with Shiv Sena and prefer to play the role of the Opposition.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

The ongoing tussle between Shiv Sena and BJP over forming government in Maharashtra has taken a new turn on Thursday after Sena decided to shift its MLAs to a hotel in Mumbai.

The ongoing tussle between Shiv Sena and BJP over forming government in Maharashtra has taken a new turn on Thursday after Sena decided to shift its MLAs to a hotel in Mumbai. Shifting elected members to a hotel or resort has been observed in India in recent times in order to avoid poaching by other parties. This move is taken as any one party fails to get the required numbers to form the government. The decision was taken after Shiv Sena MLAs met party chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence "Matoshree" on Thursday. "We (Shiv Sena MLAs) will be staying at Hotel Rangsharda for next 2 days. We will do whatever Uddhav Sahab asks us to do," said Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil, reports ANI. Today, a delegation of BJP led by party's state head Chandrakant Patil also met the Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Reports also floated today of union minister Nitin Gadkari taking over as CM post. Gadkari later clarified that he has no intention of becoming the CM of Maharashtra but added that government in Maharashtra will be formed under the leadership of incumbent CM Devendra Fadnavis. Gadkari is also seen as a mediator between BJP and Shiv Sena. In the 288-member Assembly in Maharashtra, 145 seats are required by any one group to form the government. The Shiv Sena and BJP entered into an alliance during elections in Maharashtra but after the elections got over both parties are locked horn over the post of the CM. On one hand, BJP claims that no 50:50 formula was decided before the elections, while Shiv Sena says that both parties decided to enter into an alliance with an equal tenure of CMs of their respective parties. The demand to make Uddhav's son Aaditya Thackeray as CM is also rising within the Sena. In the Maharashtra Assembly elections, BJP got the maximum seats: 105 and Shiv Sena won 56 seats. Both parties are well short of a majority but can form a government if they come together. On Wednesday, Sharad Pawar, chief of NCP, which won 56 seats, has also clarified that his party will not come into an alliance with Shiv Sena and prefer to play the role of the Opposition. (With inputs from ANI)

As power battle intensifies in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena shifts MLAs to hotel

A pre-poll alliance not able to form the government despite securing an absolute majority raises several questions over the principles on which the coalition was built. This does not augur well for the functioning of democracy as the message going down to the masses is that more than the good governance; the alliance was largely interested in the power and pelf. What should have taken just a day for the BJP and Shiv Sena to form a government in Maharashtra has stretched almost to a fortnight with both the parties struggling to come to terms since the election results were announced.

The two parties have been sharing love-hate relationship since they entered into an alliance first in 1989 for the Lok Sabha as well as Maharashtra state elections. The bromance did not last long and both the parties parted ways in 2014 over bitter differences regarding seat sharing. Both the BJP and Shiv Sena went to polls independently with none garnering enough seats to form a government on its own. Shiv Sena, which misread the pulse of the voters, contested in 282 of the 288 assembly seats winning only 63. The BJP, which contested lesser number of seats (260), emerged as the single largest party winning 122 seats. The Sena, which had then claimed to play the role of the opposition, soon had a change of heart and within two months kissed and patched up with the BJP to join the government in the state in December 2014.

Then again in January 2018, Shiv Sena raised the banner of revolt and announced to contest all future elections, including the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and Maharashtra assembly elections, alone. But by the time the 2019 general elections approached, it made a U-turn and announced the alliance with the BJP in February 2019 for the general elections as well as Maharashtra state assembly elections despite publicly huffing and puffing. In fact, Shiv Sena has been the shrillest opposition of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the last few years with its leaders questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at the centre and Devendra Fadnavis in the state over several issues. If the Shiv Sena revels in acting as an opposition party despite being in the government, it should have fought the elections independently and not enter into an unholy nexus.

Shiv Sena, which largely draws its strength from the Maratha community, has failed to replicate its success in 1995 when it contested 169 seats and won 73. It has not been able to penetrate in rural areas where its success rate is not too impressive. But it is driven by personal ambition to rule the state on its own. This explains the reason behind Shiv Sena’s demand for a 50:50 formula and rotation of chief minister post even though it won almost half of the seats in comparison to the BJP in the just-concluded elections. While the BJP bagged 105 seats, the Shiv Sena won 56, closely followed by National Congress Party (54) and the Congress 44 seats.

Though both the parties together have 161 seats, way past the half-way mark of 144, the Sena is playing hardball by demanding an equal share in the ministry besides the chief ministerial post for half the term largely due to the BJP’s tally dipping from 122 in the last assembly elections. With November 9 being the deadline by which time the government has to be sworn in otherwise the state will be headed to President’s rule, it remains to be seen which of the two saffron parties blinks first or will they go separate ways.

Politics is an unfamiliar territory where strange bedfellows become welcome friends. With so much of heartburn and mud-slinging from both sides, who knows Shiv Sena may well spring a surprise and realise its dream by coaxing the NCP and Congress to do the unimaginable. Only time will tell.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A pre-poll alliance not able to form the government despite securing an absolute majority raises several questions over the principles on which the coalition was built.

A pre-poll alliance not able to form the government despite securing an absolute majority raises several questions over the principles on which the coalition was built. This does not augur well for the functioning of democracy as the message going down to the masses is that more than the good governance; the alliance was largely interested in the power and pelf. What should have taken just a day for the BJP and Shiv Sena to form a government in Maharashtra has stretched almost to a fortnight with both the parties struggling to come to terms since the election results were announced. The two parties have been sharing love-hate relationship since they entered into an alliance first in 1989 for the Lok Sabha as well as Maharashtra state elections. The bromance did not last long and both the parties parted ways in 2014 over bitter differences regarding seat sharing. Both the BJP and Shiv Sena went to polls independently with none garnering enough seats to form a government on its own. Shiv Sena, which misread the pulse of the voters, contested in 282 of the 288 assembly seats winning only 63. The BJP, which contested lesser number of seats (260), emerged as the single largest party winning 122 seats. The Sena, which had then claimed to play the role of the opposition, soon had a change of heart and within two months kissed and patched up with the BJP to join the government in the state in December 2014. Then again in January 2018, Shiv Sena raised the banner of revolt and announced to contest all future elections, including the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and Maharashtra assembly elections, alone. But by the time the 2019 general elections approached, it made a U-turn and announced the alliance with the BJP in February 2019 for the general elections as well as Maharashtra state assembly elections despite publicly huffing and puffing. In fact, Shiv Sena has been the shrillest opposition of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the last few years with its leaders questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at the centre and Devendra Fadnavis in the state over several issues. If the Shiv Sena revels in acting as an opposition party despite being in the government, it should have fought the elections independently and not enter into an unholy nexus. Shiv Sena, which largely draws its strength from the Maratha community, has failed to replicate its success in 1995 when it contested 169 seats and won 73. It has not been able to penetrate in rural areas where its success rate is not too impressive. But it is driven by personal ambition to rule the state on its own. This explains the reason behind Shiv Sena’s demand for a 50:50 formula and rotation of chief minister post even though it won almost half of the seats in comparison to the BJP in the just-concluded elections. While the BJP bagged 105 seats, the Shiv Sena won 56, closely followed by National Congress Party (54) and the Congress 44 seats. Though both the parties together have 161 seats, way past the half-way mark of 144, the Sena is playing hardball by demanding an equal share in the ministry besides the chief ministerial post for half the term largely due to the BJP’s tally dipping from 122 in the last assembly elections. With November 9 being the deadline by which time the government has to be sworn in otherwise the state will be headed to President’s rule, it remains to be seen which of the two saffron parties blinks first or will they go separate ways. Politics is an unfamiliar territory where strange bedfellows become welcome friends. With so much of heartburn and mud-slinging from both sides, who knows Shiv Sena may well spring a surprise and realise its dream by coaxing the NCP and Congress to do the unimaginable. Only time will tell. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Maharashtra government formation: The changing equations between BJP and Shiv Sena

Amid the impasse between BJP and Shiv Sena over government formation in Maharashtra, a close confidante of Aaditya Thackeray, Rahul N Kanal, claimed that the young Shiv Sena leader will take oath as the chief minister at Mumbai's Shivaji Park. "God willingly !!! Waiting to hear these words and see the spectacle again at the same spot where our guiding light left for heavenly aboard and his blessings are with one and all...with the responsibility to serve our beloved Maharashtra!!! God is Great,Jai Hind Jai Maharashtra," tweeted Kanal, who is a core committee member of Shiv Sena's youth wing Yuva Sena.

Along with the post, Kanal posted a picture of the junior Thackeray in his young age along with late party chief Balasaheb Thackeray. Next to the photograph, a message written in Marathi read, "Someday, a voice will echo in Shivaji Park that 'I, grandson of Balasaheb Thackeray swear to God...'"

The 29-year-old Thackeray won from Mumbai's Worli assembly constituency, beating Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Suresh Mane by a margin of over 67,000 votes. He is the first member of the family in Shiv Sena's history to contest elections. Since then, several posters have surfaced calling for Thackeray to be the next chief minister of the state.

The BJP and Shiv Sena, who are partners in the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, had fought the assembly polls together on October 21. Even after getting the required numbers to form the government, there has been a delay in cobbling up a coalition owing to differences between the two parties on power-sharing.

Shiv Sena has insisted that the two parties had a '50-50'&nbsp;power-sharing agreement before the elections. But Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that Shiv Sena was not promised the chief ministerial post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was sealed before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats while Shiv Sena got 56 in the 288-member state assembly.&nbsp;

Amid the impasse between BJP and Shiv Sena over government formation in Maharashtra, a close confidante of Aaditya Thackeray, Rahul N Kanal, claimed that the young Shiv Sena leader will take oath as the chief minister at Mumbai's Shivaji Park.

Amid the impasse between BJP and Shiv Sena over government formation in Maharashtra, a close confidante of Aaditya Thackeray, Rahul N Kanal, claimed that the young Shiv Sena leader will take oath as the chief minister at Mumbai's Shivaji Park. "God willingly !!! Waiting to hear these words and see the spectacle again at the same spot where our guiding light left for heavenly aboard and his blessings are with one and all...with the responsibility to serve our beloved Maharashtra!!! God is Great,Jai Hind Jai Maharashtra," tweeted Kanal, who is a core committee member of Shiv Sena's youth wing Yuva Sena. Along with the post, Kanal posted a picture of the junior Thackeray in his young age along with late party chief Balasaheb Thackeray. Next to the photograph, a message written in Marathi read, "Someday, a voice will echo in Shivaji Park that 'I, grandson of Balasaheb Thackeray swear to God...'" The 29-year-old Thackeray won from Mumbai's Worli assembly constituency, beating Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Suresh Mane by a margin of over 67,000 votes. He is the first member of the family in Shiv Sena's history to contest elections. Since then, several posters have surfaced calling for Thackeray to be the next chief minister of the state. The BJP and Shiv Sena, who are partners in the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, had fought the assembly polls together on October 21. Even after getting the required numbers to form the government, there has been a delay in cobbling up a coalition owing to differences between the two parties on power-sharing. Shiv Sena has insisted that the two parties had a '50-50' power-sharing agreement before the elections. But Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that Shiv Sena was not promised the chief ministerial post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was sealed before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats while Shiv Sena got 56 in the 288-member state assembly.

Aaditya Thackeray will take oath as Maharashtra CM, claims his confidante

Reiterating his stance that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has numbers only to sit in Opposition, party Chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday denied the possibility of forging an alliance with Shiv Sena to form the government.

He said that BJP and Shiv Sena have got the mandate and they should form the government."I do not have anything to say yet. BJP and Shiv Sena have got the mandate of people, so they should form the government as soon as possible. Our mandate is to play the role of Opposition," said Sharad Pawar while addressing a press conference here.

"Where is the question of a Shiv Sena-NCP government? They (BJP-Shiv Sena) are together for the last 25 years, today or tomorrow they will come together again," said Pawar.

He also stated that there is only one option, which is that the BJP and Shiv Sena should form the government. "There is no other option other than this to avoid President`s rule," he outlined.

Further lamenting on the plight of farmers in State he said: "Centre should help farmers whose crops have been damaged due to rains. I visited affected areas and feel that farmers must be provided relief. Another issue is of insurance companies not paying farmers for crop damage, the Finance Ministry should intervene in this matter."

On Wednesday morning, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had met Pawar at his residence elaborating on which Pawar said that it was regarding the upcoming session.

"Sanjay Raut met me today and discussed the upcoming parliament session. There are some issues we discussed on which we can have a similar stand," said Pawar.

As the deadline for government formation in Maharashtra is fast approaching, Shiv-Sena is not ready to settle for any anything less than an equal share of power as Sanjay Raut on Wednesday outrightly denied the possibility of reaching any new settlement with BJP except the one he claims was allegedly agreed upon prior to polls.

The BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats while Shiv Sena got 56 in the 288-member state assembly. The results of assembly polls were announced on October 24.&nbsp;

Reiterating his stance that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has numbers only to sit in Opposition, party Chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday denied the possibility of forging an alliance with Shiv Sena to form the government.

Reiterating his stance that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has numbers only to sit in Opposition, party Chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday denied the possibility of forging an alliance with Shiv Sena to form the government. He said that BJP and Shiv Sena have got the mandate and they should form the government."I do not have anything to say yet. BJP and Shiv Sena have got the mandate of people, so they should form the government as soon as possible. Our mandate is to play the role of Opposition," said Sharad Pawar while addressing a press conference here. "Where is the question of a Shiv Sena-NCP government? They (BJP-Shiv Sena) are together for the last 25 years, today or tomorrow they will come together again," said Pawar. He also stated that there is only one option, which is that the BJP and Shiv Sena should form the government. "There is no other option other than this to avoid President`s rule," he outlined. Further lamenting on the plight of farmers in State he said: "Centre should help farmers whose crops have been damaged due to rains. I visited affected areas and feel that farmers must be provided relief. Another issue is of insurance companies not paying farmers for crop damage, the Finance Ministry should intervene in this matter." On Wednesday morning, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had met Pawar at his residence elaborating on which Pawar said that it was regarding the upcoming session. "Sanjay Raut met me today and discussed the upcoming parliament session. There are some issues we discussed on which we can have a similar stand," said Pawar. As the deadline for government formation in Maharashtra is fast approaching, Shiv-Sena is not ready to settle for any anything less than an equal share of power as Sanjay Raut on Wednesday outrightly denied the possibility of reaching any new settlement with BJP except the one he claims was allegedly agreed upon prior to polls. The BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats while Shiv Sena got 56 in the 288-member state assembly. The results of assembly polls were announced on October 24.

Sharad Pawar rules out possibility of alliance with Shiv Sena, says 'our mandate is to sit in Opposition'

As a political slugfest over government formation continues and with the deadline to form the government just around the corner, outgoing Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwan here on Tuesday.

The duo held a closed-door meeting at RSS headquarters here for over an hour late in the night. The meeting bears significance with the tenure of the incumbent Assembly ends on November 8.

BJP and Shiv Sena are engaged in a bitter tug-of-war with the latter refusing to soften stand on its demands for equal sharing of Cabinet portfolios and the chief minster`s tenure of 2.5 years.

However, Fadnavis has said that Shiv Sena was not promised the chief ministerial post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was sealed before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday said that Shiv Sena is yet to give any proposal and that BJP`s doors are "always open" for them.

Leaders in Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have also confirmed that the two parties are trying to chalk out an alternative to keep the BJP out of power in the state.

The BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats while Shiv Sena got 56 in the 288-member state assembly. The results of assembly polls were announced on October 24.&nbsp;

As a political slugfest over government formation continues and with the deadline to form the government just around the corner, outgoing Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwan here on Tuesday.

As a political slugfest over government formation continues and with the deadline to form the government just around the corner, outgoing Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwan here on Tuesday. The duo held a closed-door meeting at RSS headquarters here for over an hour late in the night. The meeting bears significance with the tenure of the incumbent Assembly ends on November 8. BJP and Shiv Sena are engaged in a bitter tug-of-war with the latter refusing to soften stand on its demands for equal sharing of Cabinet portfolios and the chief minster`s tenure of 2.5 years. However, Fadnavis has said that Shiv Sena was not promised the chief ministerial post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was sealed before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday said that Shiv Sena is yet to give any proposal and that BJP`s doors are "always open" for them. Leaders in Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have also confirmed that the two parties are trying to chalk out an alternative to keep the BJP out of power in the state. The BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats while Shiv Sena got 56 in the 288-member state assembly. The results of assembly polls were announced on October 24.

Amid political tug-of-war in Maharashtra, CM Devendra Fadnavis meets RSS chief

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that his party has the support of 170 MLAs. '' We have more than 170 MLAs supporting us and the figure can even reach 175,'' the Shiv Sena leader was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that his party has the support of 170 MLAs. '' We have more than 170 MLAs supporting us and the figure can even reach 175,'' the Shiv Sena leader was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut: We have more than 170 MLAs supporting us, the figure can even reach 175. #MaharashtraAssemblyPolls pic.twitter.com/QJkNuiV9kk — ANI (@ANI) November 3, 2019 × Ten days the results of the October 21 Assembly elections were announced, there appeared to be no headway in government formation in Maharashtra, with allies BJP and Shiv Sena still at loggerheads over the quantum of power-sharing. While BJP is willing to offer the deputy chief minister post to Sena, the latter insisting on 50-50 formula and wants rotational CM post. Earlier on Friday, Raut said People of Maharashtra wants chief minister from Shiv Sena. The comment came after Raut called on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar at his residence in South Mumbai, triggering speculation about the possible formation of an alternative government in the state. ''If Shiv Sena decides, it'll get the required numbers to form a stable government in the state. People have given the mandate to form a government based on 50-50 formula that was reached in front of people of Maharashtra. They want chief minister from Shiv Sena,'' the Sena leader had said.

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut claims support of 170 MLAs as Maharashtra govt formation impasse continues

Reacting to state Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar`s comment about president`s rule, Shiv Sena on Saturday asked the BJP not to threaten it and said the President was not in "anybody's pocket".

In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamna, Shiv Sena termed Mungantiwar`s "threatening statement" as "unconstitutional" and "against democracy", and compared the BJP with "Mughals"."

Do not threaten to impose the president's rule in Maharashtra. We are aware of the law, Constitution, and parliamentary traditions. The President is the highest Constitution institution. He is not in anybody`s pocket," the party said.

"Threatening to impose the president`s rule after failure on the government formation is like Mughal's diktat... The law and constitution are not anyone's slaves. We are not responsible for the current condition of politics and the people of Maharashtra know it," the Saamna editorial read.

It seems the president`s stamp is kept in BJP office and will be used as per the party`s convenience, the Shiv Sena said, adding that Mugantiwar's statement reflects BJP's "ill intentions".

It blamed the BJP for the ongoing political uncertainty in the state.

On Friday, Mungantiwar said the state may head for the president`s rule if the government is not formed before November 7.

The current term of Maharashtra government ends on November 8.

The BJP and Shiv Sena are engaged in a bitter tug-of-war over equal power-sharing including the term of chief minister's post for 2.5 years each.

As Shiv Sena stands firm on its demand, the BJP has maintained that Devendra Fadanvis will continue to be the chief minister for the entire term.

The BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats while the Sena emerged victorious on 56 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.

Reacting to state Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar`s comment about president`s rule, Shiv Sena on Saturday asked the BJP not to threaten it and said the President was not in "anybody's pocket".

Reacting to state Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar`s comment about president`s rule, Shiv Sena on Saturday asked the BJP not to threaten it and said the President was not in "anybody's pocket". In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamna, Shiv Sena termed Mungantiwar`s "threatening statement" as "unconstitutional" and "against democracy", and compared the BJP with "Mughals"." Do not threaten to impose the president's rule in Maharashtra. We are aware of the law, Constitution, and parliamentary traditions. The President is the highest Constitution institution. He is not in anybody`s pocket," the party said. "Threatening to impose the president`s rule after failure on the government formation is like Mughal's diktat... The law and constitution are not anyone's slaves. We are not responsible for the current condition of politics and the people of Maharashtra know it," the Saamna editorial read. It seems the president`s stamp is kept in BJP office and will be used as per the party`s convenience, the Shiv Sena said, adding that Mugantiwar's statement reflects BJP's "ill intentions". It blamed the BJP for the ongoing political uncertainty in the state. On Friday, Mungantiwar said the state may head for the president`s rule if the government is not formed before November 7. The current term of Maharashtra government ends on November 8. The BJP and Shiv Sena are engaged in a bitter tug-of-war over equal power-sharing including the term of chief minister's post for 2.5 years each. As Shiv Sena stands firm on its demand, the BJP has maintained that Devendra Fadanvis will continue to be the chief minister for the entire term. The BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats while the Sena emerged victorious on 56 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.

Don't threaten to impose president's rule in Maharashtra: Shiv Sena reacts to BJP minister's comment

Senior Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) leaders will be meeting interim party president Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi on Friday amid the ongoing tussle in power-sharing between BJP and Shiv Sena.

The meeting is scheduled to take place today morning.

Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat, Vijay Vadettiwar, Manikrao Thackeray are among the leaders expected to meet the interim Congress president, reported news agency ANI.

In recently concluded Maharashtra elections, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the Maharashtra assembly polls with the former emerging as the single largest party in the state with 105 seats. However, they are yet to stake a claim for the formation of government in the state.

The Shiv Sena has been demanding that the BJP fulfil 50-50 power-sharing agreement arrived at before the polls between the two parties but Fadnavis has been reluctant to accede to Sena's demand of rotational CM post. &nbsp;

&nbsp;Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats in the elections. NCP won 54 seats in the assembly while the Congress won 44 seats in the 288-member assembly.

Senior Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) leaders will be meeting interim party president Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi on Friday amid the ongoing tussle in power-sharing between BJP and Shiv Sena.

Senior Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) leaders will be meeting interim party president Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi on Friday amid the ongoing tussle in power-sharing between BJP and Shiv Sena. The meeting is scheduled to take place today morning. Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat, Vijay Vadettiwar, Manikrao Thackeray are among the leaders expected to meet the interim Congress president, reported news agency ANI. In recently concluded Maharashtra elections, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the Maharashtra assembly polls with the former emerging as the single largest party in the state with 105 seats. However, they are yet to stake a claim for the formation of government in the state. The Shiv Sena has been demanding that the BJP fulfil 50-50 power-sharing agreement arrived at before the polls between the two parties but Fadnavis has been reluctant to accede to Sena's demand of rotational CM post. Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats in the elections. NCP won 54 seats in the assembly while the Congress won 44 seats in the 288-member assembly.

Senior Congress leaders from Maharashtra to meet Sonia in Delhi today

Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said People of Maharashtra want chief minister from Shiv Sena, reported news agency ANI.

The comment came a day after Raut called on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar at his residence in South Mumbai, triggering speculation about the possible formation of an alternative government in the state.

''If Shiv Sena decides, it'll get the required numbers to form a stable government in the state. People have given the mandate to form a government based on 50-50 formula that was reached in front of people of Maharashtra. They want chief minister from Shiv Sena,'' the Sena leader was quoted as saying.

A week after the results for the October 21 Assembly elections were announced, there appeared to be no headway in government formation in Maharashtra, with allies BJP and Shiv Sena still at loggerheads over the quantum of power-sharing.

While BJP is willing to offer the deputy chief minister post to Sena. However, Sena is insisting on 50-50 formula and wants rotational CM post.&nbsp;

Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said People of Maharashtra want chief minister from Shiv Sena, reported news agency ANI. The comment came a day after Raut called on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar at his residence in South Mumbai, triggering speculation about the possible formation of an alternative government in the state.

Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said People of Maharashtra want chief minister from Shiv Sena, reported news agency ANI. The comment came a day after Raut called on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar at his residence in South Mumbai, triggering speculation about the possible formation of an alternative government in the state. ''If Shiv Sena decides, it'll get the required numbers to form a stable government in the state. People have given the mandate to form a government based on 50-50 formula that was reached in front of people of Maharashtra. They want chief minister from Shiv Sena,'' the Sena leader was quoted as saying. A week after the results for the October 21 Assembly elections were announced, there appeared to be no headway in government formation in Maharashtra, with allies BJP and Shiv Sena still at loggerheads over the quantum of power-sharing. While BJP is willing to offer the deputy chief minister post to Sena. However, Sena is insisting on 50-50 formula and wants rotational CM post.

People of Maharashtra want chief minister from Shiv Sena, says Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena has issued a list of seven MLAs supporting the party and has claimed its number in the Maharashtra Assembly to be 63, which is seven more than what it bagged in the recently concluded <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/haryana-maharashtra-assembly-polls-bjp-becomes-a-victim-of-its-own-expectations-258258">state Assembly elections</a>.

As per the list issued by Shiv Sena`s media and communication department, four independent MLAs, Manjula Gavit, Chandrakant Patil, Ashish Jaiswal and Narendra Bhondekar have extended their support to the party. Besides them, Bachchu Kadu and Rajkumar Patel of Prahar Janshkti Party and Shankarrao Gadakh of Krantikari Shetkari Party have also extended their support.

The list was released by Shiv Sena on a day when BJP legislators unanimously chose Devendra Fadnavis as their leader and BJP top brass is claiming that soon a government of `Mahayuti` will be formed in Maharashtra with all allies including Shiv Sena.

Fadnavis on Wednesday said there should be no doubt that it will be a Mahayuti (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/maharashtra-bjp-shiv-sena-feud-continues-for-the-cm-post-258477">BJP-Shiv Sena</a>) government in Maharashtra.

Fadnavis was elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party on Wednesday here.

During his speech at the legislative party meeting, Fadnavis said, "This mandate is surely for `Mahayuti` (BJP-Shiv Sena alliance) as we sought votes for `Mahayuti`. People also voted for it. So, there should be no doubt that it will be a `Mahayuti` govt."

The meeting of the party comes amid a tussle between the BJP and Shiv Sena over the chief ministerial post in Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena is demanding that power be shared between the two parties for a rotational basis.

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the recently concluded Maharashtra assembly polls with the former emerging as the single largest party in the state with 105 seats in the 288 member assembly.

Shiv Sena, on the other hand, bagged 56 seats in the elections.

Shiv Sena has issued a list of seven MLAs supporting the party and has claimed its number in the Maharashtra Assembly to be 63, which is seven more than what it bagged in the recently concluded state Assembly elections.

Shiv Sena has issued a list of seven MLAs supporting the party and has claimed its number in the Maharashtra Assembly to be 63, which is seven more than what it bagged in the recently concluded state Assembly elections. As per the list issued by Shiv Sena`s media and communication department, four independent MLAs, Manjula Gavit, Chandrakant Patil, Ashish Jaiswal and Narendra Bhondekar have extended their support to the party. Besides them, Bachchu Kadu and Rajkumar Patel of Prahar Janshkti Party and Shankarrao Gadakh of Krantikari Shetkari Party have also extended their support. The list was released by Shiv Sena on a day when BJP legislators unanimously chose Devendra Fadnavis as their leader and BJP top brass is claiming that soon a government of `Mahayuti` will be formed in Maharashtra with all allies including Shiv Sena. Fadnavis on Wednesday said there should be no doubt that it will be a Mahayuti (BJP-Shiv Sena) government in Maharashtra. Fadnavis was elected as the leader of the BJP legislative party on Wednesday here. During his speech at the legislative party meeting, Fadnavis said, "This mandate is surely for `Mahayuti` (BJP-Shiv Sena alliance) as we sought votes for `Mahayuti`. People also voted for it. So, there should be no doubt that it will be a `Mahayuti` govt." The meeting of the party comes amid a tussle between the BJP and Shiv Sena over the chief ministerial post in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena is demanding that power be shared between the two parties for a rotational basis. The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the recently concluded Maharashtra assembly polls with the former emerging as the single largest party in the state with 105 seats in the 288 member assembly. Shiv Sena, on the other hand, bagged 56 seats in the elections.

Amid talks of government formation with BJP, Shiv Sena claims to have support from 7 other MLAs

As the question over new chief minister of Maharashtra persists following Assembly polls win, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will chair a meeting with newly-elected party MLAs on Saturday.

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the Maharashtra assembly polls with the former emerging as the single largest party in the state with 105 seats.

Shiv Sena, on the other hand, bagged 56 seats in the elections. Earlier this week Thackeray raised questions over whether the BJP or his party will get the chief minister`s seat in the state.

"The important question is who will be the chief minister? When the Lok Sabha elections were held we had decided on the 50-50 formula in the state. (BJP state chief) Chandrakant Patil raised some issues this time which we understood but we can only tolerate so much. After all, we have to run our party too. If the need arises Amit (Shah) Ji should come here to carry out what was decided earlier," he said.

"Discussions should be held over what was decided and then it will be decided who the chief minister will be," the Shiv Sena chief added.

The NCP also increased its numbers as compared to the 2014 elections with 54 seats while the Congress slipped to the fourth position winning 44 seats.

As the question over new chief minister of Maharashtra persists following Assembly polls win, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will chair a meeting with newly-elected party MLAs on Saturday.

As the question over new chief minister of Maharashtra persists following Assembly polls win, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will chair a meeting with newly-elected party MLAs on Saturday. The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the Maharashtra assembly polls with the former emerging as the single largest party in the state with 105 seats. Shiv Sena, on the other hand, bagged 56 seats in the elections. Earlier this week Thackeray raised questions over whether the BJP or his party will get the chief minister`s seat in the state. "The important question is who will be the chief minister? When the Lok Sabha elections were held we had decided on the 50-50 formula in the state. (BJP state chief) Chandrakant Patil raised some issues this time which we understood but we can only tolerate so much. After all, we have to run our party too. If the need arises Amit (Shah) Ji should come here to carry out what was decided earlier," he said. "Discussions should be held over what was decided and then it will be decided who the chief minister will be," the Shiv Sena chief added. The NCP also increased its numbers as compared to the 2014 elections with 54 seats while the Congress slipped to the fourth position winning 44 seats.

Uddhav Thackeray to chair meeting with Shiv Sena MLAs today

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 103&nbsp;assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, while its ally Shiv Sena is ahead in 63 seats, as per official trends from the Election Commission (EC).

 
Congress, on the other hand, is leading on five seats while its alliance partner, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is ahead in 41&nbsp;seats.

 
Independents are leading on four seats and the Krantikari Shetkari Party is ahead in one constituency, according to the EC. 
There are 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly. Counting of votes began at 8 am today.

 
The state went to polls in a single phase on October 21.

 
The electoral fate of 3,237 candidates in Maharashtra was sealed in EVMs by the voters who had exercised their franchise in the assembly polls. At least 96,661 polling booths were set up in Maharashtra for citizens to cast their votes.

 
BJP had contested on 150 seats while Shiv Sena had fielded it candidates in 124 constituencies in the state. The remaining seats were left for smaller allies. On the other hand, Congress contested the polls in alliance with the NCP.

 
The assembly poll results will be crucial for the NCP as well as for Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), AIMIM and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).

 
Most exit polls have predicted the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance getting elected in Maharashtra but have differed in their projection of the number of seats.

 
The assembly elections are the first after the BJP-led government's decision to revoke Article 370. A verdict in its favour will give a boost to the party ahead of the winter session of Parliament next month.

 
A victory will also keep the political momentum with the BJP after its emphatic victory in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 
The polls are equally as crucial for the Congress which has faced desertions after its second successive debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. A strong performance will help the party in its process of electoral revival.

 
The BJP has already declared that incumbent Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue to lead the state government if the party is voted to power.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 103 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, while its ally Shiv Sena is ahead in 63 seats, as per official trends from the Election Commission (EC).

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 103 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, while its ally Shiv Sena is ahead in 63 seats, as per official trends from the Election Commission (EC). Congress, on the other hand, is leading on five seats while its alliance partner, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is ahead in 41 seats. Independents are leading on four seats and the Krantikari Shetkari Party is ahead in one constituency, according to the EC. There are 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly. Counting of votes began at 8 am today. The state went to polls in a single phase on October 21. The electoral fate of 3,237 candidates in Maharashtra was sealed in EVMs by the voters who had exercised their franchise in the assembly polls. At least 96,661 polling booths were set up in Maharashtra for citizens to cast their votes. BJP had contested on 150 seats while Shiv Sena had fielded it candidates in 124 constituencies in the state. The remaining seats were left for smaller allies. On the other hand, Congress contested the polls in alliance with the NCP. The assembly poll results will be crucial for the NCP as well as for Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), AIMIM and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA). Most exit polls have predicted the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance getting elected in Maharashtra but have differed in their projection of the number of seats. The assembly elections are the first after the BJP-led government's decision to revoke Article 370. A verdict in its favour will give a boost to the party ahead of the winter session of Parliament next month. A victory will also keep the political momentum with the BJP after its emphatic victory in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The polls are equally as crucial for the Congress which has faced desertions after its second successive debacle in the Lok Sabha polls. A strong performance will help the party in its process of electoral revival. The BJP has already declared that incumbent Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue to lead the state government if the party is voted to power.

BJP leading in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena not far behind

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray is leading with 7,020 votes from Mumbai's Worli assembly constituency after the first round of counting in Maharashtra elections, according to initial trends of Election Commission (EC).

 
Aaditya Thackeray, the 29-year-old son of Shiv Sena chief, Uddhav Thackeray, is the first member of the family in the party's history to contest elections.

 
The junior Thackeray is pitted against Suresh Mane of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Gautam Anna Gaikwad of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Vishram Tida Padam in Worli assembly constituency.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 21 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, while its ally Shiv Sena is ahead in 13 seats, as per official trends from EC.

 
Congress, on the other hand, is leading on five seats while its alliance partner, NCP is ahead in 15 seats.

 
Independents are leading on four seats, and the Krantikari Shetkari Party is ahead in one constituency, according to the EC.

 
There are 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly. Counting of votes began at 8 am today.

 
The state went to polls in a single phase on October 21.

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray is leading with 7,020 votes from Mumbai's Worli assembly constituency after the first round of counting in Maharashtra elections, according to initial trends of Election Commission (EC).

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray is leading with 7,020 votes from Mumbai's Worli assembly constituency after the first round of counting in Maharashtra elections, according to initial trends of Election Commission (EC). Aaditya Thackeray, the 29-year-old son of Shiv Sena chief, Uddhav Thackeray, is the first member of the family in the party's history to contest elections. The junior Thackeray is pitted against Suresh Mane of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Gautam Anna Gaikwad of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Vishram Tida Padam in Worli assembly constituency. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in 21 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, while its ally Shiv Sena is ahead in 13 seats, as per official trends from EC. Congress, on the other hand, is leading on five seats while its alliance partner, NCP is ahead in 15 seats. Independents are leading on four seats, and the Krantikari Shetkari Party is ahead in one constituency, according to the EC. There are 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly. Counting of votes began at 8 am today. The state went to polls in a single phase on October 21.

Maharashtra polls: Aaditya Thackeray leading from Worli assembly seat

With Maharashtra election&nbsp;roughly a month away, the state's far-right Nationalist party- Shiv Sena got its first 'Thackeray' as an electoral candidate. Aditya Thackeray, the 29-year-old grandson of Shiv Sena's founder Bal Thackeray filed his nomination in the presence of younger sibling Tejas, parents Uddhav and Rashmi Thackeray today.

On the way to file his candidature, Aditya Thackeray was given a rousing welcome, hundreds of Shiv Sena members accompanied him to the nomination centre in Worli. Dancing alongside his open jeep, fans and supporters were also seen showering flower petals on their young leader's cavalcade.

Having entered active politics in 2009, Aditya Thackeray will contest from South Mumbai's Worli constituency. Considered a safe bet for the Sena, Worli has a total strength of 2,68,932 voters.

The assembly constituency is a high-end residential locality, home to the rich and famous, surrounded by plush business parks. A sizeable number of Mumbai's original inhabitants- the Kolis reside along the Worli sea face- a popular seaside promenade.&nbsp;

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Shiv Sena's first poster of Aditya Thackeray that went up on the roads around his constituency read "Hello Worli" in various Indian languages. The party's move to put multilingual posters all across the constituency was viewed as an attempt to move away from regional politics it has long stayed loyal to.

With a young leader from the Thackeray clan being projected at the helm of affairs, the Sena is changing its messaging to appease all communities, thereby ensuring a greater victory margin for its star debutant.&nbsp;

October 4 being the last day for filing nominations, so far no other political party has fielded any candidate against Aditya Thackeray from the same constituency. This has further bolstered the party's confidence for an easy win.&nbsp;

Mandatory upon all candidates running for public office, the nomination process requires declaring assets owned by politicians in the election form affidavit. The details are for voters to know the source of the politician's wealth.&nbsp;

Aditya Thackeray declared assets worth over Rs 16 crore. As per the nomination form, he has bank deposits of Rs 10.36 crore, bonds/shares/mutual funds of approximately Rs 97 lakh, jewellery worth around Rs.1 crore, immovable properties worth Rs 4.67 crore, other investments worth Rs 10.22 lakh and cash in hand Rs 13,344.00.

With Maharashtra election roughly a month away, the state's far-right Nationalist party- Shiv Sena got its first 'Thackeray' as an electoral candidate. Aditya Thackeray, the 29-year-old grandson of Shiv Sena's founder Bal Thackeray filed his nomination in the presence of younger sibling Tejas, parents Uddhav and Rashmi Thackeray today.

With Maharashtra election roughly a month away, the state's far-right Nationalist party- Shiv Sena got its first 'Thackeray' as an electoral candidate. Aditya Thackeray, the 29-year-old grandson of Shiv Sena's founder Bal Thackeray filed his nomination in the presence of younger sibling Tejas, parents Uddhav and Rashmi Thackeray today. On the way to file his candidature, Aditya Thackeray was given a rousing welcome, hundreds of Shiv Sena members accompanied him to the nomination centre in Worli. Dancing alongside his open jeep, fans and supporters were also seen showering flower petals on their young leader's cavalcade. Having entered active politics in 2009, Aditya Thackeray will contest from South Mumbai's Worli constituency. Considered a safe bet for the Sena, Worli has a total strength of 2,68,932 voters. The assembly constituency is a high-end residential locality, home to the rich and famous, surrounded by plush business parks. A sizeable number of Mumbai's original inhabitants- the Kolis reside along the Worli sea face- a popular seaside promenade. × Shiv Sena's first poster of Aditya Thackeray that went up on the roads around his constituency read "Hello Worli" in various Indian languages. The party's move to put multilingual posters all across the constituency was viewed as an attempt to move away from regional politics it has long stayed loyal to. With a young leader from the Thackeray clan being projected at the helm of affairs, the Sena is changing its messaging to appease all communities, thereby ensuring a greater victory margin for its star debutant. October 4 being the last day for filing nominations, so far no other political party has fielded any candidate against Aditya Thackeray from the same constituency. This has further bolstered the party's confidence for an easy win. Mandatory upon all candidates running for public office, the nomination process requires declaring assets owned by politicians in the election form affidavit. The details are for voters to know the source of the politician's wealth. Aditya Thackeray declared assets worth over Rs 16 crore. As per the nomination form, he has bank deposits of Rs 10.36 crore, bonds/shares/mutual funds of approximately Rs 97 lakh, jewellery worth around Rs.1 crore, immovable properties worth Rs 4.67 crore, other investments worth Rs 10.22 lakh and cash in hand Rs 13,344.00.

Aditya Thackeray files nomination for upcoming Maharashtra election

The political scene in Maharashtra is heating up. The saffron alliance is gearing up for elections. Buoyed by the Lok Sabha victory and complete disarray in the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the BJP-led alliance hopes to retain power with a thumping majority.&nbsp;

If the 2019 general elections are an indication, the BJP-Sena alliance is leading in 227 Assembly constituencies, more than three-fourth majority. Congress and NCP are falling like a pack of cards with MLAs switching sides on a daily basis. &nbsp;

Senior Congress leader in Maharashtra and former leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, has joined the BJP, while NCP’s Mumbai chief, Sachin Ahir, has joined the Shiv Sena. There is a competition underway between BJP and Shiv Sena, as to who is able to attract the maximum defectors. Five MLAs each from Congress-NCP alliance have joined the Shiv Sena and BJP respectively.

Amidst all this, the sticky issue of seat-sharing talks have begun. As per reports, BJP has offered 110 seats to Shiv Sena, while it wants to contest on 160 seats, leaving 18 seats for smaller regional allies. This is much lower than the 50:50 formula, which was agreed upon while finalising Lok Sabha seats distribution.&nbsp;

Shiv Sena won 63 seats and finished runner up in 37 seats in the 2014 state elections. The 110 number is arrived through this formula. Shiv Sena is asking for 126 seats.&nbsp;

BJP, bolstered by a strong performance in Lok Sabha polls riding on the Modi wave, appears in no mood to accept Shiv Sena’s demands.

Murmurs have started doing the rounds that BJP and Shiv Sena are likely to contest separately, like the last time in 2014.&nbsp;

The bone of contention is not just seat distribution, but also the post of Chief Minister. The Shiv Sena had declared in its mouthpiece Saamana in June 2019 that by the time the party celebrates its next foundation day, on June 19, 2020, the state would have a Shiv Sena chief minister.&nbsp;

Shiv Sena workers have claimed that an agreement was reached between Amit Shah and Uddhav Thackeray at the time of Lok Sabha seat finalisation that both the parties will share the CM’s post for a duration of two-and-a-half years each.&nbsp;

Some BJP party leaders have said in the past that it can contest on all 288 seats. However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stated categorically that the elections will be contested in alliance with Sena and under his leadership.&nbsp;

BJP won 122 seats on its own in 2014 after the break-up with Sena. Many party insiders feel that it is in a much stronger position today. Modi has won a bigger mandate in his second term. Fadnavis has five years of achievements to showcase, including farm loan waiver and Maratha reservation. The abrogation of Article 370 has further given a fillip to BJP’s prospects and Modi’s popularity is at an all-time high. The arrest of Chidambaram and filing of FIR against Ajit Pawar in the Rs 25,000-crore MSCB scam has given BJP further ammunition.&nbsp;

All this, party strategists feel, will help to bridge the shortfall of 20-odd seats. BJP had contested on 260 seats in 2014. An alliance with Sena means BJP has to deny tickets to more than 100 contestants, which may lead to heartburn and rebellion. They argue that the BJP should go it alone in the polls. In a worst case scenario, if it falls short by a few seats, Shiv Sena will have no choice but to support BJP like in 2014 when results threw a hung verdict.&nbsp;

Shiv Sena, which has played the elder brother for decades, is not able to digest the new structure in which it is playing second fiddle to BJP. That’s why it is applying pressure on its partner so that it could at least agree for the Deputy CM chair for Shiv Sena.&nbsp;

Sena’s tally is also likely to increase at the expense of Congress and NCP in 2019 even if it contests alone. However, if it contests alone, it runs the risk of losing out on sharing power, if BJP gets a majority on its own.Sena has to decide whether it wishes to occupy the opposition space left by Congress and NCP, or it wishes to continue to enjoy the fruits of power.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-bjp-holds-the-aces-in-maharashtra-as-sena-has-to-play-second-fiddle-2788606">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The political scene in Maharashtra is heating up. The saffron alliance is gearing up for elections. Buoyed by the Lok Sabha victory and complete disarray in the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the BJP-led alliance hopes to retain power with a thumping majority.

The political scene in Maharashtra is heating up. The saffron alliance is gearing up for elections. Buoyed by the Lok Sabha victory and complete disarray in the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the BJP-led alliance hopes to retain power with a thumping majority. If the 2019 general elections are an indication, the BJP-Sena alliance is leading in 227 Assembly constituencies, more than three-fourth majority. Congress and NCP are falling like a pack of cards with MLAs switching sides on a daily basis. Senior Congress leader in Maharashtra and former leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, has joined the BJP, while NCP’s Mumbai chief, Sachin Ahir, has joined the Shiv Sena. There is a competition underway between BJP and Shiv Sena, as to who is able to attract the maximum defectors. Five MLAs each from Congress-NCP alliance have joined the Shiv Sena and BJP respectively. Amidst all this, the sticky issue of seat-sharing talks have begun. As per reports, BJP has offered 110 seats to Shiv Sena, while it wants to contest on 160 seats, leaving 18 seats for smaller regional allies. This is much lower than the 50:50 formula, which was agreed upon while finalising Lok Sabha seats distribution. Shiv Sena won 63 seats and finished runner up in 37 seats in the 2014 state elections. The 110 number is arrived through this formula. Shiv Sena is asking for 126 seats. BJP, bolstered by a strong performance in Lok Sabha polls riding on the Modi wave, appears in no mood to accept Shiv Sena’s demands. Murmurs have started doing the rounds that BJP and Shiv Sena are likely to contest separately, like the last time in 2014. The bone of contention is not just seat distribution, but also the post of Chief Minister. The Shiv Sena had declared in its mouthpiece Saamana in June 2019 that by the time the party celebrates its next foundation day, on June 19, 2020, the state would have a Shiv Sena chief minister. Shiv Sena workers have claimed that an agreement was reached between Amit Shah and Uddhav Thackeray at the time of Lok Sabha seat finalisation that both the parties will share the CM’s post for a duration of two-and-a-half years each. Some BJP party leaders have said in the past that it can contest on all 288 seats. However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stated categorically that the elections will be contested in alliance with Sena and under his leadership. BJP won 122 seats on its own in 2014 after the break-up with Sena. Many party insiders feel that it is in a much stronger position today. Modi has won a bigger mandate in his second term. Fadnavis has five years of achievements to showcase, including farm loan waiver and Maratha reservation. The abrogation of Article 370 has further given a fillip to BJP’s prospects and Modi’s popularity is at an all-time high. The arrest of Chidambaram and filing of FIR against Ajit Pawar in the Rs 25,000-crore MSCB scam has given BJP further ammunition. All this, party strategists feel, will help to bridge the shortfall of 20-odd seats. BJP had contested on 260 seats in 2014. An alliance with Sena means BJP has to deny tickets to more than 100 contestants, which may lead to heartburn and rebellion. They argue that the BJP should go it alone in the polls. In a worst case scenario, if it falls short by a few seats, Shiv Sena will have no choice but to support BJP like in 2014 when results threw a hung verdict. Shiv Sena, which has played the elder brother for decades, is not able to digest the new structure in which it is playing second fiddle to BJP. That’s why it is applying pressure on its partner so that it could at least agree for the Deputy CM chair for Shiv Sena. Sena’s tally is also likely to increase at the expense of Congress and NCP in 2019 even if it contests alone. However, if it contests alone, it runs the risk of losing out on sharing power, if BJP gets a majority on its own.Sena has to decide whether it wishes to occupy the opposition space left by Congress and NCP, or it wishes to continue to enjoy the fruits of power. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

BJP holds the aces in Maharashtra as Sena has to play second fiddle

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