Sena steps on gas to strike deal quickly
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with BJP President Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. (Photo: PTI)
New Delhi: Ruling out any official truck with the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, BJP in Mahrashtra will be staking claim on its own if its negotiations with Shiv Sena fail. Top brass of the BJP and RSS has virtually ruled out any official truck with the NCP in forming a government in the state.
“If talks with Shiv Sena fail, we are likely to stake claim on our own and we’ll see how events unfold”, a senior BJP leader said. On eve of talks between Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray and BJP president Amit Shah, BJP gave indications that it “will not succumb to any arm-twisting” by its former ally.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley, reiterated that the Sena was a “natural ally”, and said on Wednesday that “we will need an ally to form the government”.
On chief ministership in Maharashtra, BJP central leadership has more or less zeroed in on MLA Devendra Fadnavis, but if for some reason Mr Fadnavis fails to make it as a consensus candidate, Nitin Gadkari is likely to move in and take charge of the state, sources said.
Read: Shiv Sena leaders in Delhi for discussions with BJP on Maharashtra government formation: reports
Playing the role of big brother, BJP is learnt to have said it would take the final decision on distrubuting portfolios to the Sena if the allies decided to reunite to form a coalition government. The post of deputy chief minister for the Sena remains on the bargaining table, BJP has ruled out giving the home portfolio to its former ally.
Sources said that in the event of the BJP forming a minority government, there is a strong possibility of NCP staging a walkout during the floor test. But with NCP offering unconditional support from outside and possibility of it helping a minority BJP government by staging a walkout, the Shiv Sena seems to have stepped on the gas to strike a deal with the BJP quickly.
There is a feeling in the saffron camp that the Sena will soften its stand and latch on to the BJP wagon. Union home minister Rajnath Singh will visit Mumbai after Diwali to speak to party legislators.
( Source : dc )
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