BJP never had power sharing deal with Sena, I will be the CM: Fadnavis

Breaking his silence over the ongoing tussle between the BJP and the Shiv Sena following the Maharashtra Assembly polls, caretaker Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected the Sena’s claim that there was a 50:50 power-sharing deal between the two allies before the polls.

Reports also suggest that the BJP is in no mood to accept the Sena’s demand for a rotational chief minister.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday (October 29) at his residence in Mumbai, Fadnavis said he will continue to be the chief minister for the next five years.

“The Shiv Sena was not promised CM’s post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was formalised before the Lok Sabha polls,” Fadnavis said based on his earlier interaction with BJP leader Amit Shah.

The BJP won 105 seats, while the Sena secured 56 seats in the 288-member Assembly. The BJP’s tally had slumped this time compared to the 122 seats it won 2014, encouraging the Sena to pitch for an equal sharing of power after the elections. While both the parties have 161 seats together, which is beyond the majority mark of 144, the Sena’s insistence on equal sharing of power had been a major hindrance in government formation so far.

Even as the BJP refuses to share power, the Sena too has stood its ground. While the party claims to have the support of five more MLAs, taking its tally to 61, Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a veiled threat on Tuesday suggested that the party may turn to other alternatives if the BJP doesn’t cooperate.

“We believe in the alliance (with the BJP) as we jointly contested the polls. But the BJP should not compel us to commit the sin of looking for an alternative for government formation,” he told a news channel.

(With inputs from agencies)