Make public whatever was decided between BJP-Sena: Fmr Maharashtra min

Former Maharashtra minister and senior BJP leer Eknath Khse on Thursday said whatever h been "decided" between BJP and Shiv Sena ahe of assembly polls should be me public. Khse, speaking to reporters in Jalgaon, his home district in rth Maharashtra, said whatever h been "decided" between saffron allies in past should be me public for better understanding of power-sharing issue. BJP denied assembly election ticket to Khse and inste fielded his daughter from ir family seat of Muktainagar in Jalgaon district, but she lost to Shiv Sena rebel Chandrakant Patil.

"Sena leers have been saying something was promised to m ahe of Lok Sabha elections. In that case, whatever was decided should be brought to forefront and discussed," said Khse, whose critical remarks have put BJP on back foot on several occasions in recent past. Asked about tussle between saffron allies and delay in government formation even two weeks after poll results, veteran politician said, I am longer senior eugh to mediate between BJP and Sena." Khse, once seen as . 2 in Chief Minister Devendra Fnavis's cabinet, has been largely sidelined in state BJP. A multiple-time MLA, Khse h resigned from Fnavis cabinet in June 2016 after allegations of impropriety surfaced against him in a land deal in Pune. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

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Sena resorting to 'Hotel politics'?

Earlier in day, Shiv Sena leer Abdul Sattar revealed that party was planning to send its MLAs to a resort — Hotel Rangasharda, amid alleged poaching attempts. Sena MP Sanjay Raut has dismissed such reports saying, 're is need for that'. This development comes after many Congress MLAs are reportedly in favour of supporting Shiv Sena to keep out BJP from coming to power again. On or hand, NCP chief Shar Pawar has repeatedly ruled out a coalition with Shiv Sena saying, 'We have mandate to sit in Opposition'. Meanwhile, BJP ally and RPI chief, Ramdas Athawale has said that BJP chief Amit Shah has plans of interfering in delock, leaving state leers to solve tussle mselves.

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BJP-Sena delock

While Shiv Sena has reiterated that it will accept only 50:50 formula, BJP has denied of ever having agreed to such a formula reportedly offering 13 cabinet portfolios to Sena while keeping 26 for its ministers. Apart from Sena's portfolio demand, party has demanded a sharing of 2.5 years in CM post too ; this has been refused by CM Devendra Fnavis, stating, ' next govt will be formed under a BJP CM.' With respite to delock, Sena has been eyeing to gain support of NCP-Congress alliance. BJP too has been gaining Independent MLAs support to fortify its position.

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Poll results in Maharashtra 

saffron alliance swept Maharashtra on October 24, winning a combined tally of 161 (BJP- 105, Sena -56) to award CM Devendra Fnavis a second term. But comeback of 'Maha- Aghi' alliance (NCP-Congress) took Mahayuti by surprise as NCP bagged 54 seats while languishing Congress too bagged 44 seats. Though BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will form next government, it was handed a diminished mandate compared to 2014 where it won 185 seats.

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