Devendra Fadnavis: 'No 50:50 formula, I will be Maharashtra CM'

Amid power tussle in Maharashtra between the saffron alliance of BJP and Shiv Sena, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has made a big statement about the upcoming government formation and talks on the Deputy Chief Minister's post. As per sources, Fadnavis has said that he will be the CM and there will be no talks on the 50:50 formula. Sources also said that Fadnavis has added that there have been no talks on the Deputy CM post so far. He also added that BJP president Amit Shah will not come to Mumbai as suggested by some sources.

"We (alliance) will form the government soon. Maharashtra will get a stable government for the next 5 years. The government will be formed under the leadership of BJP only. Who will be our leader you will come to know tomorrow.  Amit Shah won't come tomorrow. We are continuing formal and informal talks with Sena." Denying any specific formula between the Mahayuti alliance partners, Fadnavis has said: "There is no specific formula. We will decide it on merit. BJP president Amit Shah won't come tomorrow. We are continuing formal and informal talks with Sena."

READ: Dushyant Chautala responds to Sena's jibe: 'Don't drag my family'

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. Moreover, Sena has put banners in the Worli constituency from where Aaditya Thackeray won the assembly polls declaring him as the next CM.

READ: Don't compel us to look for alternative, Raut warns ally BJP

Sena's jibe on Dushyant Chautala

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said that there is no 'Dushyant' in the state of Maharashtra. Raut's statement comes at the backdrop of BJP forming an alliance with the Dushyant Chautala's JJP after Haryana gave a fractured poll verdict. Notably, a day after sealing the deal, Dushyant's father Ajay Chautala who was lodged in Tihar jail was out on furlough.

"We do not have any Dushyant here whose father is inside the jail. Here it's us who do politics of dharma and satya (righteousness and truth). Maharashtra has a very complicated politics," said Raut. "If someone wants to keep us away from power, then it is an honour for us. A decision will be taken soon. We are currently observing that to what lows people can resort to. As decided before the Lok Sabha elections, our only demand is that things should work according to what has been decided earlier," he added.

READ: Sanjay Raut takes a jibe at BJP, says 'No Dushyant in Maharashtra'

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: Amit Shah congratulates ML Khattar and Chautala as they assume office