BJP delays meet with Maharashtra Governor, to wait for Shiv Sena response
Allies BJP and Sena have been locked in a tussle over a power-sharing pact since the results of the Assembly elections were announced on October 24.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is scheduled to call on the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari on Thursday, has postponed the meeting from early morning to late afternoon to wait and watch for ally Shiv Sena’s response even as the stalemate between the warring allies over government formation continued.
The BJP announced that it will meet governor on Thursday afternoon to inform him of the political situation and ongoing efforts to form the government. BJP state chief Chandrakant Patil and finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar are to meet Koshiyari at Raj Bhavan.
The deferment, many feel, is to wait and see what stand the Shiv Sena will take after party chief Uddhav Thackeray meets MLAs at 11.30 am where he is expected to discuss the government formation stand-off.
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“The mandate is for the BJP, Sena and RPI. Our stance is to respect this mandate. All the steps that we take from now will be to ensure our alliance government comes to power,” Mungantiwar said.
Allies BJP and Sena have been locked in a tussle over a power-sharing pact since the results of the Assembly elections were announced on October 24. While BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 105 seats, Sena has 56 seats in the 288-member Assembly. The standoff has been over sharing the chief minister’s post and important ministerial berths, with Sena insisting that an agreement was reached on the same in pre-poll talks and BJP dismissing it.
The BJP is split over next course of action if Sena refuses to come on board. A section in the party feels they should not form the government without a clear majority. The BJP has claimed support of 15 legislators. They need 145 legislators to cross the half way mark in the 288 member house.
