Post Breakup With NDA, Shiv Sena MPs To Sit In Opposition Benches In Rajya Sabha

Shiv Sena has now teamed up with NDA's political rivals at the Centre, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), to draft a Common Minimum Programme for a possible coalition government in Maharashtra which has been placed under President's rule.

Sena has been allotted seats with the Opposition in the winter session of Parliament. (File Photo/ Getty)

Mumbai: As the political slugfest in Maharashtra still continues to prevail and the state desperately awaits government formation even after 3 weeks since Assembly election results were announced, two of country's oldest allies Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) have parted ways due to disagreement over seat sharing formula. According to a new report, Shiv Sena has been allotted seats with the Opposition in the winter session of Parliament, which is set to begin from November 18, news agency IANS quoted sources as saying. "New arrangement is a fallout of the regional outfit's decision to part ways with the BJP in Maharashtra," sources said. The Shiv Sena has 18 MPs in Lok Sabha, while it has three MPs in the Rajya Sabha. Sena MPs Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai will no longer occupy seats behind the treasury benches in Rajya Sabha in accordance with standard parliamentary procedures. Sources said the new seats have been allotted to them with Opposition MPs. Both BJP and Shiv Sena had collectively secured 161 seats cumulatively, 16 more than the required halfway mark of the state legislative assembly to form a government. The Shiv Sena, however, has now teamed up with NDA's political rivals at the Centre, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), to draft a Common Minimum Programme for a possible coalition government in Maharashtra which has been placed under President's rule. With the Shiv Sena deciding to skip a crucial meeting of NDA allies scheduled to be held on Sunday, its parting of ways with the ruling coalition at the Centre is almost certain. "No Shiv Sena representative will attend the NDA meeting. This is nearly finalised," Shiv Sena spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut told reporters in Mumbai on Saturday. Earlier in the day, Sena went ahead to caution its former ally BJP against taking its defeat in Maharashtra to heart, or it would lose mental balance and slide to 'insanity'. The Sena said that with efforts currently underway in Maharashtra to form a stable government minus the single-largest party BJP, it (BJP) is raving and ranting against the second-largest party (Sena's) upcoming alliance with Congress and the NCP. According to unofficial indications, Sena would get the post of Chief Minister, but it is hazy whether it will be for half-term (30 months) or full term (five years), while NCP-Congress would get Deputy CM each, besides portfolios being shared at one per four legislators of each party. NCP President Sharad Pawar will call on Sonia Gandhi later this week with the possibility of Sena President Uddhav Thackeray also going to meet her before a formal tie-up announcement is made from New Delhi on a priority this week or early next week, according to political sources. A Congress leader said they would like to complete all formalities before November 18, when the Winter Session of Parliament begins, and also explore possibilities of the three prospective allies going to campaign for the Jharkhand Assembly elections after the government formation is completed in Maharashtra.