Amid power tussle in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, BJP's oldest ally on Monday said it is breaking all ties with the party and said it is looking forward to forming the government with the support of the NCP and the Congress. Shiv Sena is to meet the Governor at 2:30 pm. Sources have confirmed that Shiv Sena and NCP have been in discussions behind the scenes since last two days.
The BJP, which is the single largest party in the state with 105 seats, on Sunday decided against staking claim to form government for want of adequate numbers. The governor then invited the second largest party Shiv Sena, which has been at loggerheads with the BJP over sharing the chief minister's post.
Expressing Sena's sincerity of purpose, Raut pointed out that the party president Uddhav Thackeray has already directed Sena's sole nominee in the Union Cabinet, Heavy Industries Minister Arvind Sawant to quit his post.
As the political turmoil in Maharashtra intensifies, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party and said the BJP is ready to sit in the Opposition but is reluctant to abide by the 50:50 formula which was decided upon during the Lok Sabha polls. "There is no point continuing alliance with BJP if it can't keep its promise," Sanjay Raut said.
On Sunday, Arvind Sawant had said that he will resign from the post of Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises if advised by his party chief, Uddhav Thackeray, amid the BJP refusing to form a government in Maharashtra and daring the Shiv Sena to do so.
Governor Koshyari had asked Sena legislative party leader Eknath Shinde to "indicate willingness and ability" of the party to form government. After the governor's communication, Sena MLAs, staying at a suburban hotel in Mumbai, went into a huddle. They later moved to Matoshree, the Bandra residence of the party chief Uddhav Thackeray, for another meeting.
The Congress party got into a huddle on Sunday night after the BJP declined to form a government in Maharashtra and the Shiv Sena claimed it will have its chief minister in the state.
The first expansion of the Manohar Lal Khattar-led Haryana cabinet is likely to take place on Tuesday as the names of those to be inducted as new ministers were finalized on Sunday, sources said.
Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has invited the second-largest party, the Shiv Sena to form the government on Sunday. Koshyari has asked Eknath Shinde to indicate the willingness and ability of his party to form the government in Maharashtra.
The decision on the second list of seven candidates was taken at a party meeting here. We have had a detailed discussion on the selection of candidates for the rest of the places. There is another meeting of the senior leaders on Monday, where we will take a final decision, Rao told reporters after the meeting.
In his November 8 letter, Siddaramaiah referred to a recent leaked audio clip of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa purportedly expressing anguish against his party leaders at a recent party meeting in Hubballi over their opposition to giving tickets to the disqualified Congress-JD(S) MLAs for the December 5 Assembly bypolls in 15 constituencies.
Amid the tussle to form government in Maharashtra, sources within Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have told India TV that the NCP MLAs are of the opinion that the party should join forces with Shiv Sena to form government in the state. However, there is no official confirmation from either camps and all major players are in a huddle with their MLAs.
Reacting to the BJP's announcement that it would not form government in Maharashtra, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the party would install its chief minister at any cost.
On Sunday, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray told his party MLAs that a 'Shiv Sainik' will sit on the Chief Ministerial post. BJP is in a huddle too. BJP camp is strategising. It is noteworthy that both Shiv Sena and BJP are holding separate meetings.
The Maharashtra BJP's core committee met on Sunday after the governor invited it to form government, senior party leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said, but did not divulge what transpired at the meeting. He said they would hold another round of discussions later in the day following which a decision would be taken.
Pillars of Maharashtra political landscape are dealing with one of the greatest deadlocks in the recent memory. Shiv Sena and BJP are both refusing to blink and the pre-poll alliance looks shredded. Sanjay Nirupam has had his say on Congress' stand in all this.
Addressing the media, Sanjay Raut said his party welcomes the decision of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to invite the BJP to form government in the state."Now, with the governor's intervention, we hope the state will get a government," he said.
As Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asked the BJP on Saturday to indicate its willingness to form a government, the NCP said the governor's decision has come late, and it would vote against the BJP if there is a floor test.
Maharashtra governor B S Koshyari has invited the single largest party BJP to form the government on Saturday. Koshyari has asked BJP to prove its majority in the assembly.
Government formation in Maharashtra is likely to be delayed due to the Supreme Court's Ayodhya verdict, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut hinted on Saturday. The Supreme Court on Saturday cleared the way for the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya and directed the Centre to allot a 5-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.
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