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

Hours after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis denied Shiv Sena post of CM for 2.5 years as part of a power-sharing "formula", Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday cancelled his party's meeting with BJP on formation of next government. development might potentially worsen already strained relationship between two parties. A senior Sena leader told PTI meet, scheduled to be held here at 4 PM, was cancelled by Thackeray after CM's statement on sharing of power.

Meeting was to be attended by top leaders

meeting was to be attended by Union minister Prakash Javadekar and senior Sena leaders. "Union minister Prakash Javdekar and party leader Bhupendra Yadav were supposed to attend meeting to start discussions on formation of next government from BJP side, while Sena would have been represented by Subhash Desai and Sanjay Raut," Sena leader said.

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development came within hours of Fadnavis's presser in which he denied that Sena was ever promised CM's post for two-and-a-half years when alliance was formalised before 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Thackeray has been insisting that 50:50 formula on sharing of power was "agreed upon" between himself, BJP chief Amit Shah and Fadnavis ahead of Lok Sabha polls this year. Sena had demanded a written assurance from BJP for implementing "equal formula for sharing of power" before holding talks on staking claim to form next alliance with government in State. On Tuesday, Sena also released an old video clip to "rebut" CM's claims on sharing of power in which latter purportedly talked about equal sharing of posts and responsibilities in BJP-led state government.

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Shiv Sena releases old video clip

"Uddhavji has cancelled meeting scheduled at 4 PM on Tuesday. We have sent out clip of CM speaking about sharing posts and responsibilities equally. Fadnavis should mind his words while making such statements," senior leader added.

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In a related development earlier in day, Fadnavis anunced that Shah will t be attending BJP legislature party meeting on Wednesday. A BJP leader had last week said that Shah might visit Thackeray. Ever since BJP's tally fell in recently-held assembly polls, results for which were anunced on October 24, Sena raised its pitch for a rotational chief ministership between two parties for a period of 2.5 years. Sena MLAs last week demanded that Thackeray's son Aaditya, a first-time legislator, be made Chief Minister. In elections held for 288-member House, BJP won 105 seats, a loss of 17 seats compared to its 2014 tally. Sena's tally also came down to 56 seats from 63 in 2014. A resurgent NCP won 54 and Congress bagged 44 seats.

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