Shiv Sena MLAs have told party chief Uddhav Thackeray that they want a written assurance from the BJP that they will share the chief minister’s post in Maharashtra with the army under a 50:50 power split, some party MPs also reported Supported Aditya Thackeray to hold the top post, however, the final decision on the formation of the government was left to Uddhav.
The party’s 56 newly elected MLAs met Uddhav Thackeray at his Matoshree residence in Mumbai on Saturday and insisted on a written assurance from the BJP respecting an agreement – to share power equally in Maharashtra – ahead of the national general election. Allegedly killed among coalition partners. In May this year.
Sena MPs said written assurance was needed since the said pact was not honoured by the BJP, which contested the larger chunk of 288 seats in the Assembly polls held on October 21, leaving Sena with just 124 seats to fight.
Party MLA Pratap Sarnaik from Ovala-Majiwada in Thane, who was in the meeting, said the government formation process would not start unless the BJP gave a written assurance to share the CM post equally.
“All the legislators have decided to give all the powers to make decision to Uddhav ji. It was decided that the central leadership of the BJP should honour the pact of 50:50 power sharing agreement, including the split of CM post. We want it in writing from the BJP,” Sarnaik said.
Guhagar MLA Bhaskar Jadhav added that while they want sharing of the chief minister’s post, party’s candidate for the top position had not been decided yet.
The Sena won 56 seats out of the 124 it contested, while the BJP won 105 out of the 164 seats it fought.
Some party MLAs, according to news agency PTI, said they wanted to see Uddhav’s son Aaditya Thackeray become the chief minister.
“We want to see Aaditya Thackeray as the next chief minister. But Uddhavji will take the final decision,” PTI quoted Pratap Sarnaik as saying.
Aaditya is the first from the Thackeray family to contest and win an election and was widely seen as a possible candidate for the deputy CM’s position before the polls.
A Maharashtra congress leader added a new dimension to the post-poll political developments on Saturday by suggesting that the party high command could consider Shiv Sena’s claim to the CM post if approached.
“We have been given the role of opposition and we will do so. But, if any alternative is to be discussed, the Shiv Sena will have to come to us and they have not yet contacted us, ”Vijay Wadatewar told news agency ANI
PTI on Saturday quoted state unit chief Chandrakant Patil as saying that the Maharashtra BJP has called a meeting of its newly elected MLAs on October 30.
