Maharashtra power tussle: Several MLAs extend support to CM Fadnavis

Amid power tussle in Maharashtra between Shiv Sena and the BJP, several MLAs from various parties met with the state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to extend their support. During the meeting, various issues including loss and damage to crops due to unseasonal rain and steps taken by the state government to assist the farmers were reportedly discussed. 

The MLAs who extended their support include-- Kshitij Thakur (Nalasopara) of Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi, Shyamsundar Shinde (Loha) of Peasants and Worker's Party and Vinay Kore of Jan Surajya Shakti while the independent MLAs are -- Ravi Rana (Badnera), Sanjay Mama Shinde (Karmala), Geeta Jain (Meera Bhayander), Mahesh Baldi (Uran), Kishore Jorgewar (Chandrapur), Vinod Agarwal (Gondia), Rajendra Raut (Barshi) and Prakash Anna Awhade (Ichalkaranji).

While the Shiv Sena has been pushing for a 50-50 power-sharing agreement between the two saffron allies in Maharashtra, however, Fadnavis has asserted that the ally was not promised the Chief Minister's post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was finalised prior to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

READ| Maharashtra Congress leaders meet Sharad Pawar; mull Sena alliance

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut on Friday heaped praises for NCP chief Sharad Pawar, calling him a "big leader." Leaders from the Shiv Sena had met Pawar and NCP members on Thursday leading to speculations that the parties may form an alliance to form the government in Maharashtra. He had further added, that Maharashtra will have a chief minister from the Shiv Sena.

Raut was asked by the media about speculations that there was a positive feeling among the Sena and NCP following their meeting. Without giving away any hint of the outcome of the meeting, Raut said that people who meet Pawar feel positive as he is a big leader. "Whenever I meet with Sharad Pawar, or whoever meets him to talk about political, social issues, gets a positive indication as he is a big leader.

"No ultimatum to the BJP (on government formation). They are big people," the Rajya Sabha MP said. If the Sena decides, it can get the required numbers to form a stable government in Maharashtra, he said. People have given the mandate to form a government on the basis of "50:50 formula" that was reached in front of the people of Maharashtra, Raut said. In the just-held state polls, the BJP won 105 seats, while the Sena got 56 in the 288-member assembly.

Maharashtra assembly elections

The saffron alliance--Mahayuti of BJP and Shiv Sena won a combined tally of 161 seats (BJP- 105, Sena -56). The Maha-Agadhi alliance of NCP-Congress made a comeback as the NCP bagged 54 seats while the languishing Congress too bagged 44 seats in the 288-seat assembly. Though the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will form the next government, it was handed a diminished mandate compared to 2014 where it won 185 seats.  

READ| Shiv Sena cancels BJP meet as Fadnavis denies sharing of CM's post

READ| Fadnavis credits Thackeray for Assembly win, confirms 'Mahayuti govt'

(With ANI inputs)