BJP, Shiv Sena contradict on CM post
Senior ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena on Wednesday gave contradictory statements over sharing the chief minister's post in Maharashtra. While BJP minister Chandrakant Patil said his party is of the view that the alliance partner winning more seats (after this year's Assembly poll) would get the CM's post, Sena minister Ramdas Kadam said his party forged the alliance with the BJP after there was an agreement to share the post.
Kadam further said it is free to break the pre-poll alliance immediately if the BJP does not wish to fulfil its commitment.
The difference in voices comes just two days after their parties inked a pre-poll deal.
Talking to his party workers at his Mumbai residence, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said that he had rejected the formula proposing that the party winning maximum number of seats in assembly elections would get the post of chief minister.
"This formula was used by both parties (Sena and BJP) in the last 25 years. I have rejected it. What I have demanded is that both the parties get to share all posts equally," Thackeray said.
"The BJP has agreed to this, hence I have decided to forge the alliance," he said.
As per the tie-up announced Monday, the BJP will contest 25 seats and Sena 23 of total 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. For the assembly polls, the two parties will contest an equal number of seats after accommodating allies.
The BJP and the Sena had contested the 2014 assembly elections separately. Of total 288 seats, the BJP had won 122 seats and the Sena 63.
Kadam said as per the alliance agreement, all Constitutional posts will be equally shared by Sena and BJP.
"This means the CM's post will also be equally shared. If this formula isn't acceptable to BJP leaders, we will ask Thackeray to call off the alliance. We are capable of contesting polls alone," he added.
