As Sena plays hardball in Maha, Shah likely to meet Uddhav on Oct 30

BJP president Amit Shah might visit Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on October 30 after attending a meeting of the BJP's newly-elected MLAs to elect the leader of the House in Mumbai, days after the results of the October 21 Maharashtra assembly elections were declared. Shah's meeting, if it happens, with Thackeray assumes huge political significance given Sena's demand for equal sharing of power in the next government in view of the senior ally BJP's weakened tally. According to sources, Sena's equal sharing of power entails chief ministership for Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray, a first-time MLA.

"A meeting of the BJP legislative party will take place in Mumbai on October 30. All the party legislators and state office-bearers will also be present. Our national president Amit Shah and leader (Maharashtra BJP in charge) Saroj Pandey will also be present at the meeting," BJP MLC Girish Vyas said. "After the meeting, Shah may visit Uddhav Thackeray," he added.

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Thackeray reminds the 50:50 formula to BJP

Thackeray had made it clear that his party would not understand the problems of the BJP every time. When results of the polls were being announced on October 24, Thackeray had reminded the BJP of the 50:50 formula "agreed upon" between himself, Shah and Fadnavis ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "I contested less number of seats for Lok Sabha and assembly elections. I cannot accommodate the BJP every time. I want to remind the BJP the formula which was worked out in the presence of Amit Shah," Thackeray had said. On Saturday, the Sena demanded a written assurance from the BJP that it will implement the formula for equal sharing of power. Thackeray had told MLAs of his party that though "other options" were open for him, he didn't want to explore them given that the alliance of the BJP and Sena is bound by the "Hindutva ideology." The Sena won 56 seats, seven less than in 2014, in the 288-member House. The Sena has more leverage now as the BJP, whose tally came down from 122 in 2014 to 105, needs it more to cross the halfway mark of 144.

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