Shiv Sena says not forming govt 'unconstitutional' amid Maha-tussle

Even as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met BJP national president Amit Shah on Monday, and assured that government would be formed, alliance partner Shiv Sena remains unsatisfied. On Tuesday, Shiv Sena's mouthpiece Saamna attacked the BJP yet again, accusing the BJP of creating a blockade in the state by not forming the govt. Emphasizing that Shiv Sena is concerned about the farmers in Maharashtra, Saamna said that it is "unconstitutional" to not form the government even after 10 days of election results. It also blamed the Mahayuti alliance partner of attempting to run the government from the Centre. 

Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut who has been vocal in stating Sena's demands, on Tuesday took to Twitter to share the lines of Hindi poet Dushyant Kumar. The lines mean that he is not trying to create a ruckus but is trying to change the narrative. 

Meanwhile, NCP leader Sharad Pawar met Congress interim chief Soni Gandhi on Monday. The 'Maha- Agadhi' alliance said that people's mandate wants them to sit in the Opposition. At other side, Shiv Sena has been continuing with its demand for equal power-sharing in the state. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had earlier said that people would come to know in the coming days if the Shiv Sena will be in power.

READ: Shiv Sena attacks BJP for hinting at President's rule in Maharashtra

Fadnavis meets Amit Shah

On Monday, Devendra Fadnavis met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and reiterated that there is a need for a new government in the state and will be formed soon. He added that the BJP was confident in spite of all the remarks made by different political parties on the government formation. Fadnavis met Amit Shah to request the Centre's aid for crop losses incurred in Maharashtra. 

READ: NCP says Sharad Pawar will not be CM, amid Sena-BJP tussle

Sena's 50-50 formula

A day after the election results were announced, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, outside Uddhav Thackeray's residence Matoshree said that the Chief Ministerial post must be equally divided between BJP and Sena for 2.5 years each. He wanted BJP president Amit Shah to give the assurance in writing and to maintain the 50-50 formula that was sealed before polls. 

WATCH: Sanjay Raut claims that Shiv Sena has numbers to form Maha govt

Maharashtra poll result

When the poll result was announced on October 24, the saffron alliance swept Maharashtra, winning a combined tally of 161 (BJP- 105, Sena -56). But the 'Maha- Agadhi' alliance (NCP-Congress)  made a comeback as the NCP bagged 54 seats while the languishing Congress too bagged 44 seats. 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: Will follow coalition dharma: Sena on Sonia being advised to back it