Governor asks Shiv Sena to form government in Maharashtra

The BJP on Sunday has wished Shiv Sena all the best to form a government with the Congress and NCP after it told the governor that it was unable to garner the required numbers Later in the night the governor invited the Sena the secondlargest party to form the government Late on Sunday the governor asked the Sena to send a proposal by 730 pm on MondayThe Sena may at least need a verbal assurance from the NCP and Congress But Sena will have to quit the NDA first THE Sena has 56 MLAs Congress 44 and NCP 54If this combine fails the governor may also invite the prepoll alliance of CongressNCP If no party or alliance is able to form government the state will go under Presidents rule and there could be another election soonSince the Shiv Sena has made up its mind to not join us despite people giving our prepoll alliance a comfortable mandate we have told the governor that we will not be making the government now said BJP state president Chandrakant Patil at Raj BhavanThe BJP and Sena have been in a deadlock over the latters demand for the CMs post The matter escalated two days ago when the CM and Sena boss Uddhav Thackeray called each other a liar over the promise that the Sena said was made in February Uddhav reiterated the same while talking to the party MLAsSundays development indicated that the saffron alliance which was revived in 2014 after a brief separation now faces another breakup this time longtermWe dont want to dishonour the mandate though the Sena has done it We wish the Sena very best to make the government with the Congress and NCP said PatilCaretaker chief minister Devendra Fadnavis leaves Raj Bhavan on Sunday Pic Ashish RajeOn a day that saw activity in Mumbai and Jaipur Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said he hadnt parted ways with the ally yet but wanted his CM in the saddleWe have been carrying the BJPs palanquin for long Its time our man sat in the palanquin and others carried it he told his legislators at a luxury Malad resortHowever when the MLAs demanded that Uddhav should become the CM he turned down the request A sainik will be the CM not me he saidThe Sena president was exuberant and jovial as he drove his wife Rashmi to the hotel from their Kalanagar residence No security personnel or personal staff sat in their car which moved in a convoy Son Aaditya is staying with the MLAsSena insiders said the president had called a late Sunday night meeting to deliberate the future while he has expedited talks with the NCP and Congress In fact several rounds of talks have been held between the Sena and the NCP Sena will get the CM and NCP deputy CM They will share important portfolios between them The Congress may extend outside support and gets its SpeakerWe will have our CMReiterating that his party will install its CM Sena MP Sanjay Raut chided the BJP for backing out abruptly How will they have their CM if they dont make the government They had been saying till last evening that they would have their CM It was all about their adamant attitude he saidEarlier Raut chose to praise the NCP and Congress leaders Their leaders arent antiMaharashtra They speak against government policies We may have our political differences but we all are for the welfare of the people he saidNo word from Sena yetSenas uncertainty delayed decisive action in the NCP and Congress camps NCP boss Sharad Pawar said he hadnt received any proposal from the Sena But the indomitable leader who has been pulling strings met his trusted aide Praful Patel for 90 minutes at his residenceParty spokesperson Nawab Malik said the NCP will decide at a meeting of its MLAs on November 12 He said the Sena should give NCP a proposal give up its central government positions before things can move forwardPolice officers on duty outside the Retreat Hotel in Malad where the Shiv Sena MLAs have been holed up Pic Satej ShindeIn Jaipur where the Congress legislators are kept secured under the partys Rajasthan government a section of MLAs demanded to go with government formation They said the party should support the SenaNCP from outside and if possible be part of the governmentPartys general secretary incharge of Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge said the mandate was to sit in opposition but the party high command would take a final decisionThe arrangement between the Sena and NCP however isnt expected to be easy Insiders said the NCP wants the posts of Deputy CM and home department for Ajit Pawar But the Sena might not give up its claim to the allimportant portfolio Senior leaders Subhash Desai Eknath Shinde legislative party leader and Ramdas Kadam are much interested in the top job while Sanjay Raut too seemed to have entered the race Uddhavs son Aaditya Thackeray might not immediately make it but could be a surprise candidate if the tussle intensifies Aaditya the first Thackeray to successfully enter the electoral fray could be made a minister for gaining experience in governance for making it to the top office56No of MLAs the Sena has44No of MLAs the Congress hasCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates