Mamata Banerjee wades into Maharashtra deadlock; fires 2-pronged attack

Taking on Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for recommending President's rule in the state amid political turmoil in the state, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said some people in constitutional posts are acting like BJP mouthpieces. These people wish to run a parallel administration in some states, she said. Trinamool supremo said that some nominated persons are exceeding their brief. "They should not supersede the central government. The Centre must take care of this," she said.

"I generally do not comment on constitutional posts, but a few people (governors) are acting just like BJP mouthpieces. In my state too, you have seen what is going on -they want to run a parallel administration," Mamata Banerjee said. Mamata added, "They (governments) should be allowed to work." 

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, amid a press brief, took a dig at the Governor while speaking to the reporters. As Thackeray was bombarded with questions over the future course of action, Uddhav Thackeray gestured the reporters to be patient and asked them to "not behave like the Governor."

On Wednesday, Home Minister Amit Shah in an interview with ANI claimed that it was the BJP that suffered that most with the imposition of President's rule in Maharashtra. He said, "I would like to make it clear that if there is any party which has suffered the most with the imposition of President's Rule in Maharashtra, then it is the BJP. We have lost a caretaker government. The opposition has lost nothing."

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The Congress party, on Wednesday, claimed that they were vigilant to prevent the possibility of "Operation Lotus"-- the attempts by BJP to engineer defections from other parties in Maharashtra. The grand old party is attempting to explore ways to forge an alliance with ideologically differing Shiv Sena, in an attempt to form a government in a political unstable Maharashtra. Meanwhile, the NCP has asserted that a new government has to be formed before the New Year.

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BJP-Sena fallout

Blaming Shiv Sena for fracturing the Mahayuti alliance, the single-largest party, BJP announced that it would not form the next government in the state on Sunday, after meeting the Governor. The major tiff between the saffron parties is over the 50-50 formula and sharing the CM post for 2.5 years each. BJP has refused to both, with the BJP willing to give Shiv Sena 13 cabinet portfolios and keeping 26 portfolios for itself.

(With PTI inputs)