Mumbai / Sena denies report of moving MLAs to 5-star hotel amid row with BJP

The political deadlock over government formation in Maharashtra, two weeks after the results were announced, refuses to end. With no finality yet on who will form government and how, and less than 48 hours to go before President’s rule is imposed in the state, Shiv Sena on Thursday refuted reports that it was shifting its MLAs to a resort to prevent poaching attempts. Senior party leader Sanjay Raut said there was no need for such a thing as its MLA were committed to the party.

“There is no need for us to do this, our MLAs are firm in their resolve and committed to the party. Those who are spreading such rumours should worry about their MLAs first,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Reports suggested this morning that the Shiv Sena was planning to shift its MLAs to a five-star property in Mumbai. The reports came after the Shiv Sena, in a sensational claim in its mouthpiece Saamana, accused BJP of trying to poach its MLAs. In its editorial in Saamna, the party said that that the people of the state want a Shiv Sainik as CM and also accused its long-time NDA ally of using “money power” to break the deadlock in government formation.

The Maharashtra Election results that were announced on October 24, gave the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance a clear majority to form the government. Out of the 288 seats, BJP got 105 seats, Shiv Sena (56), Congress (44) and the Nationalist Congress Party (54).

However, the alliance between the saffron parties came to a crossroad with Shiv Sena demanding that its party be given the chief minister’s post. CM Devendra Fadnavis has also maintained that he will stay at the helm for the next five years.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar has also maintained that his party will sit in the Opposition and will not form an alliance with Shiv Sena to form the government and will be in the Opposition.

Raut also maintained that there had been no talks between RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on the issue of government formation in the state. When Raut was asked whether his views were that of the party, the Shiv Sena leader stressed that he had only put forward the view of his party chief.

The tenure of the present Assembly will end on November 9. Some reports have also suggested that the backchannel talks were on between both NDA partners who are often at crossroads. The breakthrough is expected soon, they said.