NewDelhi: There seems no end to the tussle over seat-sharing pact between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena is clear on its demand for a 50:50 seat-sharing formula, while the BJP is not ready to bow down before the party.
Asked on why there is a delay in government formation despite having a pre-poll alliance, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, making a reference to newly-appointed deputy CM of Haryana Dushyant Chautala, said it is because “there is no Dushyant here whose father is in jail.”
“There is no Dushyant here whose father is in jail. Here it’s us who do politics of ‘dharma and satya’,” Raut said, and also added that Shiv Sena has other options too, but the party is “not hungry for power.”
Haryana and Maharashtra both went to polls on October 21. BJP emerged as the single largest party in both the states but failed to get majority. In Haryana, Chautala’s party Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) formed a post-poll alliance with the BJP and hence, he was offered the deputy CM post in return. A day before he was to take oath as the deputy CM, his politician father Ajay Chautala, convicted in a recruitment scam, was granted bail for two weeks.
“Uddhav Thackeray ji has said that we have other options too but we don’t want to do the sin of accepting that alternative. Shiv Sena has always done politics of truth, we are not hungry for power,” Raut added.
The Shiv Sena MP further stated that a decision will be made soon. However, the party is adamant on not compromising on the agreement earlier made between the two parties, he said.
While the counting of votes was underway, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had categorically stated that “time has come to implement the 50-50 formula in Maharashtra that was previously decided with the BJP.”
On Saturday, Uddhav had called a party meeting to decide about government formation in the state, after which, Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik said, “It was decided that like Amit Shah had promised 50:50 formula before Lok Sabha polls, similarly both allies should get chance to run the government for 2.5-2.5 years. So Shiv Sena should also have CM. Uddhav Thackeray should get this assurance in writing from BJP.”
Meanwhile, BJP has resorted to plan B to claim a majority in Maharashtra. The saffron party is now clear on forming a government with or without Shiv Sena. BJP leaders are planning to meet the governor on Wednesday, along with MLAs of smaller parties and independents and will stake claim to form the government.
Bureau Report
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