After the alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena won the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Shiv Sena demanded 50:50 power in the State.
The Shiv Sena demanded key portfolios for its Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and the Chief Minister’s position for Aaditya Thackeray. However, Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, is not in support of the Shiv Sena’s demand for key portfolios like Home, Revenue and Urban Development ministries.
Mr. Fadnavis, on the 29th of October, addressed the media and said the BJP is expected to keep the chief ministership. However, the BJP and the Shiv Sena are still discussing the power sharing formula.
A source close to the Shiv Sena, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “It is clear that the BJP cannot form a Government without us. In that case, they must make us an equal partner in power. That means conceding some key departments that play an important role in the State. We are not willing to settle for a raw deal if we are not getting chief ministership.” The source further added, “If they don’t agree to this too, there could be a problem.”
On the other hand, a senior BJP leader said, “The Shiv Sena’s argument doesn’t make sense as the difference in the number of seats won by both the partners in alliance is not much. In the 2014 elections and now, we have won almost double the number of seats than the Sena. As such, the question of half the cabinet berths and half a dozen significant portfolios doesn’t arise. Besides, we won’t part with home, finance and cooperation that are strategically significant for us.”
The discussion regarding the ministerial berths is still going on.
Stay tuned for further updates.
