All players in Maharashtra politics are in huddle to strategise
Focus is back on government formation in Maharashtra as almost all major players went in a huddle just a day after historic Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has invited Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the next government. The BJP is single largest party in Maharashtra assembly. However, with 105 MLAs, the BJP falls well short of the majority mark. BJP and Shiv Sena (56) together can easily form government in Maharashtra but there is acute strain between Shiv Sena and BJP over power sharing.
What's cooking?
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 as well. It is noteworthy that both Shiv Sena and BJP are holding separate meetings.
Maharashtra BJP core committee met at 'Varsha', the official residence of acting CM Devendra Fadnavis. Major state leaders like Vinod Tawade, Ashish Shelar, Pankaja Munde, Sudhir Mungantiwar and others were present for the meet.
The Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar is due to meet his party MLAs on November 12. However, party leaders are conducting meeting to decide plan of action. Prominent NCP leaders like Jitendra Awhad and Nawab Malik met Sharad Pawar at his residence. NCP has said that they will vote against BJP inside assembly if it fails to secure adequate numbers to form the government.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Khadge met Maharashtra Congress MLAs in Jaipur. Congress has hinted that it may support Shiv Sena to keep BJP away from power in Maharashtra.
