Amid the ongoing tussle between the BJP and the Shiv Sena over share of power in the next Maharashtra government, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was re-elected as leader of the state BJP legislature party on Wednesday.
After being elected, Fadnavis reiterated the party's intention to sustain the alliance with Shiv Sena following a high-pitched conflict between the two parties mainly over who would become the chief minister.
"This mandate is surely for the 'mahayuti' (BJP-Shiv Sena grand alliance) as we sought votes for 'mahayuti'. People also voted for it. So, there should be no doubt it will be a 'mahayuti' govt," Fadnavis said.
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All the 105 newly-elected BJP MLAs were present at the meeting in Mumbai, where Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar and party vice president Avinash Rai Khanna were present as central observers.
As the leader of the BJP state legislature party, Fadnavis is expected to become the chief minister for a second straight time. Tomar said no other name was proposed at the party meeting.
A turban-clad Fadnavis thanked party MLAs for reposing faith in him and giving him another chance to serve the state. He also thanked Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
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The Shiv Sena has gone on to take tough positions on government formation as it insisted on sharing the chief ministerial tenure between the two parties on a rotational basis which the BJP rejected.
The BJP has been reportedly engaged in back-channel talks with its ally by offering it key posts in the government such as Deputy Chief Minister post and revenue portfolio.
The bitter tussle started between the two allies after the Assembly election results were declared on October 24. The BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats, NCP 54 and Congress 44 in the 288-member House. It needs Sena's support to stake claim to form government.
Fadnavis said nothing on the CM post had been decided when the alliance was finalised with the Shiv Sena ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, adding that no formula had been worked out yet.
On the other hand, Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil on Wednesday said his party and its ally Congress will sit in the opposition, as mandated by the people of Maharashtra.
Patil's comments came amid talks of possibility of the NCP backing the Shiv Sena in government formation, as the Uddhav Thackeray-led party's relationship with BJP seems to have strained over the issue of power-sharing in the next state government.
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"We have been asked to sit in the opposition by the people and we will discharge that duty," Patil said.
