Mumbai / We can prove majority in 10 mins: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut

Hindustan Times : Nov 24, 2019, 01:58 PM
The Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut used new words to hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Maharashtra’s chief minister propped by the NCP’s Ajit Pawar stunning everyone on Saturday.

Sanjay Raut said the early morning swearing-in ceremony a day earlier was a “Black Saturday” for democracy. And, also described the BJP’s political coup in two words on Twitter.

“Accidental shapathgrahan (oath-taking),” he tweeted in a mix of English and Hindi on Sunday.

He also alleged that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari allowed the new government headed by Devendra Fadnavis to be formed on the basis of “bogus” documents.

For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he had a warning. The national party, he said, will not be able to form the government in Maharashtra.

He said now the BJP does not have the right to criticise Emergency imposed by former prime minister Indira Gandhi in the 1970s, which the Sena had supported at that time.

“The BJP thought Ajit Pawar was a big leader and he would come with 40-50 legislators. Taking Ajit Pawar on board was BJP’s last resort to break the party, but now it has backfired,” Raut said.

Raut once again took on the Nationalist Congress Party’s Ajit Pawar, saying he backstabbed his uncle and NCP president Sharad Pawar by joining hands with the BJP.

Raut said that the three parties—the Sena, NCP and Congress—have the support of 165 MLAs.

“Sharad Pawar is a national leader. If the BJP is trying to form the government, it will not happen. It is a wrong step taken by the BJP and Ajit Pawar. One hundred and sixty-five MLAs are with the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP,” he said.

He added, “If the governor summons us in 10 minutes, we will all be there and parade the MLAs.”

The Sena leader said that they are waiting for the Supreme Court verdict on the joint plea by the three parties seeking quashing of the invitation to Devendra Fadnavis to form the government.

Raut was referring to the plea the three parties have filed in the Supreme Court, challenging Governor Koshyari’s decision to invite Fadnavis to form the state government.

They have asked the top court in their petition to issue a direction to the governor to invite their alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi, to form the government.

Meanwhile, the BJP countered Raut and said it was confident of proving majority on the floor of the House.

“We will follow whatever the Supreme Court says. But the Governor has given us time till November 30, we will prove the majority with 170 MLAs or more than that. The government under Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar will be a stable one,” BJP leader Ashish Shelar said.

Shelar also took a jibe at Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who had attacked the BJP for conducting a “political surgical strike” on Maharashtra in the dark of the night.

“The wee hours of the day is considered auspicious (Ram Prahar), those who have forgotten Lord Ram it will only call it darkness,” he said.

Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn in by Governor Koshyari at a hush-hush ceremony on Saturday as the President’s Rule in the state was lifted.

The early morning development came just hours after the new alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress reached a consensus that Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will be their chief ministerial candidate.

Ajit Pawar’s revolt caused a split in the NCP, whose chief Sharad Pawar distanced himself from his nephew’s actions, saying the decision to back the BJP was his personal choice and not that of the party.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER