Maharashtra Govt Formation HIGHLIGHTS: Sena Shifts MLAs To Hotel; NCP, Congress Accuse BJP Of Poaching

As the clock ticked towards the expiry of the present Maharashtra assembly's tenure on Friday, state Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni met Governor B.S. Koshyari to discuss legal and constitutional issues, official sources said. Even 15 days after the election results were announced, Maharashtra has lapsed into an unprecedented political crisis in which the two main allies - BJP-Shiv Sena, who secured a majority, are unwilling to form the government.

Background

Mumbai: Even after two weeks of impasse, Maharashtra is still awaiting a government formation after the voters gave Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena a combined mandate to run the state. However, the deadlock between the two allies (BJP and Shiv Sena) has led to no government in sight in the state as both the parties are adamant on their terms of running the government. On one hand BJP wants Shiv Sena to back it with lesser terms and let Devendra Fadnavis lead the Chief Minister Office (CMO), Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, on the other hand, wants 50-50 government sharing formula.The onus is on Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to act if no party stakes claim to form the new government in Maharashtra, a legislature expert said here on Thursday, two days before the present Assembly's term ends. If no party comes forward, the governor can invite the single largest party to form the government, said Anant Kalse, former secrertary of the state legislature.The BJP and the Shiv Sena are engaged in a bitter tug-of-war over the latter's demand for equal distribution of portfolios and sharing the chief minister's post. The BJP has rejected the Sena's demand for sharing the chief minister's post for two-and-a-half years each.As the clock ticked towards the expiry of the present Maharashtra assembly's tenure on Friday, Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday accused the BJP of delaying the process of government formation in Maharashtra and creating a situation for the imposition of President's rule.Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, he said the BJP should declare that it is unable to form the government and then the Shiv Sena will take further steps. Reiterating the Shiv Sena's demand for sharing the chief minister's post, he said the state's CM will be from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party only."Why did the BJP leaders who met the governor today did not stake claim? Why did they return empty-handed? They want to create a situation for the imposition of President's rule. The BJP does not have the numbers," he said.Downplaying the Sena's decision to shift all its MLAs to a hotel in suburban Bandra, Raut said, "Not all legislators have homes in Mumbai. So, the party has decided to ensure they get facilities under one roof. After Thackeray chaired a meeting of the Sena MLAs at his residence here, all the legislators were shifted to Rangsharda Hotel in suburban Bandra, amid the political uncertainty and fear of cross over.Raut also said that there is no change in the Shiv Sena's stand on government formation and all the legislators support Uddhav Thackeray. He criticised state minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar for saying that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is "like a Shiv Sainik"."If you think you are from the Shiv Sena, behave like one. For the Shiv Sena, the given word is very important. For us it is like 'pran jaaye par vachan na jaaye' (promise has greater value than life)," he said. The BJP should show it has 145 MLAs in its support and form the government, he said."When you say the mandate is for 'Mahayuti', the mandate is also for what was agreed upon when the alliance was formalised. The mandate is for having a Shiv Sena chief minister," he said.  Earlier in the morning, Raut said there have been no talks yet between RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Uddhav Thackeray on government formation in the state.The BJP and Shiv Sena are locked in a tussle over the issue of the chief minister's post, resulting in a stalemate in government formation despite results of the October 21 Assembly polls giving the alliance a combined seat strength of 161, way past the 145 majority mark in the 288-member House. In the polls, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena-56, NCP-54 and the Congress won 44 seats.

07/11/2019 20:31:26

As the political crisis in Maharashtra continued for the 15th day and 48 hours remained before the state assembly's tenure expires on November 9, the Shiv Sena on Thursday accused ally Bharatiya Janata Party of pushing the state towards President's Rule.




It (the BJP) is the single-largest party... If it is so confident, it should stake claim to form the government and submit a list of 145 supporting MLAs. If they can't do it, they should publicly announce it and prepare to sit in Opposition: Sena MP Sanjay Raut said.

07/11/2019 19:29:10

A BJP delegation on Thursday met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to update Raj Bhavan about the party’s attempts to form the government after last month’s state elections. The meeting was held to discuss legal aspects of the delay in formation of the government in the state after the October 21 Assembly elections.

07/11/2019 19:24:54

Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve meets Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan as the deadlock over government formation in the state continues.




BJP has made it clear that the post of Chief Minister is 'non-negotiable' but doors were open for all other negotiations. However, Shiv Sena circles consider it as virtually the doors slammed shut on its face and is now hoping to finalise other options.

07/11/2019 17:44:17

Nitin Gadkari confirms 'not returning' to state politics




Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has ruled out any possibility of his returning to state politics and said the political impasse in Maharashtra would be soon resolved, here on Thursday.




'I am in Delhi... There is no question of my returning to state politics. The political crisis in the state will be resolved soon,' Gadkari said, ending all speculation of his being a contender for the post of a consensus Chief Minister to defuse the state political deadlock over government formation.'

07/11/2019 17:31:44

Sena leader Sanjay Raut had earlier denied the reports of shifting of MLAs to hotel and said that there is no need for us to do this, our MLAs are firm in their resolve and committed to the party. Those who are spreading such rumours should worry about their MLAs first.

07/11/2019 17:30:40

As the political stalemate in Maharashtra over formation of new government entered 14th day on Thursday, Shiv Sena held a meeting of its newly elected legislators which was addressed by party chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence Matoshree in Bandra, while, the BJP headed to meet the Governor of the state.

07/11/2019 17:28:48

In yet another dampener for the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena legislators unanimously endorsed party President Uddhav Thackeray’s stand on government formation on the basis of 50:50 power-sharing formula on Thursday.

07/11/2019 16:58:59

Ranked amongst the most politically stable states in the country, in its entire 59-year history, Maharashtra has witnessed President's Rule only twice - for 112 days in February-June, 1980 and later for 33 days in September-October 2014. Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday challenged the BJP to stake its claim as the single largest party and submit a list of 145 MLAs to the Governor, or quit the race and announce publicly that it has no majority so other parties explore viable government formation options.

07/11/2019 16:58:40

Even 15 days after the election results were announced, Maharashtra has lapsed into an unprecedented political crisis in which the two main allies - BJP-Shiv Sena, who secured a majority, are unwilling to form the government. Both allies are engaged in a furious tug-of-war over the post of Chief Minister and other power-sharing aspects which have virtually pushed the state to the threshold of President's Rule.

07/11/2019 16:58:20

Maharashtra Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni met Governor B.S. Koshyari to discuss legal and constitutional issues, official sources said. Kumbhakoni reached the Raj Bhavan shortly after a Bharatiya Janata Party delegation led by its state President Chandrakant Patil and ministers Girish Mahajan, Sudhir Mungantiwar and Ashish Shelar met the Governor to seek his advice on the same lines.