The Shiv Sena has alleged that the BJP’s confidence of forming the government in Maharashtra after backing off initially makes evident its intention of horse-trading under the guise of President’s rule.
In an article in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena criticised former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s remarks that its alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress would not last longer than six months, saying the new political equation was giving a “stomach ache to several people”.
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil had on Friday said that they will soon form government in the state, claiming that his party can count on support of 119 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly.
Meanwhile, ahead of Winter Session of Parliament, which is scheduled to be conducted from Monday, Sanjay Raut said Shiv Sena will skip the National Democratic Party (NDA) meeting in Delhi.
Earlier on Thursday, Raut stressed that the Sena can “neither be defeated nor be afraid” while blaming BJP chief Amit Shah over the impasse in government formation in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra has been under President’s rule since Tuesday after no party or alliance staked claim to form government or conveyed support of adequate number of MLAs to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
The break up of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra may have an impact on Mumbai’s mayoral polls scheduled for November 22.
Amid the current political stalemate in Maharashtra, Union minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari on Friday likened politics with cricket, saying “anything” could happen in both these fields as those who appear to be losing the match might actually win the game.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar is expected to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi tomorrow in New Delhi where a final decision on government formation is likely to be taken.
NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress are set to meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari but the three parties maintained it was to seek immediate aid for rain-affected farmers and not about government formation.