Mumbai: The first BJP government in Maharashtra headed by state party chief Devendra Fadnavis will be sworn in on Friday with Shiv Sena unlikely to join the new dispensation for now as talks continued between the two saffron parties for a tie-up.
44-year-old Fadnavis, a four-term MLA from Nagpur, will be administered the oath of the office by Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at Wankhede Stadium in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several of his Cabinet colleagues, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, corporate leaders, Bollywood stars and other celebrities.
A small Cabinet of around ten ministers including state BJP Core Committee members Eknath Khadse, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Vinod Tawde and Pankaja Munde besides MLAs from Schedule Castes and Scheduled tribes is also likely to be sworn in. “A slim and trim government will take oath tomorrow,” a BJP leader said.
As talks with former ally Shiv Sena for a possible tie-up are still going on, no minister from that party was likely to be inducted tomorrow. “It seems unlikely that any Shiv Sena minister will be sworn in tomorrow. Talks with Sena are on in an amicable atmosphere for a possible tie-up in Maharashtra but there has been no outcome yet,” BJP General Secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy informed.
Maintaining that BJP was looking forward to a decision soon, he said, “This may not happen tomorrow.”
BJP had emerged as the single largest party in the 288-member state Assembly with 122 seats but one of its MLAs Govind Rathod died.
Though technically it will be a minority government until Sena joins it, declared support from 41-member NCP will act as a hedge for the BJP dispensation. It also has the support of several Independent MLAs and those from some smaller parties.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is likely to hold discussions with senior leaders again this evening and announce the party’s stand on joining the government.
Sena MP and spokesman Sanjay Raut said “positive talks” were on between the two parties and extended best wishes to Fadnavis and his team.
“A new government led by Devendra Fadnavis is being formed. Like always, we wish him well. He is a capable, young leader with the clean image. We want him to get the opportunity to take Maharashtra forward,” Raut said.
He, however, went on to add that people’s mandate was not for any single party. “BJP has emerged as the single largest party and we are second. In the given situation, if the two parties form a government, it will be stable,” Raut said.
Asked if the option for sitting in the opposition was open for Sena, Raut said, “We are not standing at somebody else’s door.
“We have and old relationship with BJP. We fought elections separately. This happens in politics. But attempts have been made to erase the bitterness. If BJP is forming the government, it is our duty to extend best wishes to them,” he said.
On whether Uddhav will attend the swearing-in ceremony for which he has been extended invitation, Raut said, “Please wait till the evening.” Earlier, in an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, Sena praised Narendra Modi and Fadnavis, saying the state can expect ‘acchhe din’ (good days) under them, but cautioned its former ally against accepting NCP’s support.
“You (BJP) have come to power by promising to convert Maharashtra into a corruption free and a Congress-NCP free state. You (Devendra Fadnavis) come from the Vidarbha region where the NCP had carried out a huge irrigation scam. By taking NCP’s support from the very beginning, questions have arisen on the sanctity of your government,” the editorial on the eve of the swearing-in.
“The biggest challenge for BJP right now is to prove majority in the Vidhan Sabha. It is okay to say that you will form a minority government and even manage to run it. But running such a government is against the Constitution. “(Sharad) Pawar has extended support without being asked for it, but will the (Devendra) Fadnavis government run with the help of Pawar’s support?” it said.
