‘Sena CM for 5 yrs’: Raut amid talks on Maha govt formation with Cong-NCP

Mumbai: Amid talks over Maharashtra government formation with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress, the Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that his party would get the chief minister’s post for a full term of five years.

“Shiv Sena CM will be there for the full five years and leaders of all the three parties have agreed on it. Maharashtra will see a strong government led by the Shiv Sena,” Sanjay Raut said while speaking to reporters.

When asked about reports that the BJP had agreed to share the CM’s post with Sena, Raut clarified: "The time for offers has ended. People of Maharashtra want Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to become the CM."

Raut’s comments came after Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray held talks with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar till midnight on Thursday to give final touches to the new alliance of the two parties along with the Congress in Maharashtra. The Sena chief had gone to Pawar’s residence Silver Oak in south Mumbai along with son and Aaditya and Sanjay Raut.

The Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress will hold another round of talks on Friday to thrash out the details of their alliance and their effort to form a government in the politically-crucial western state after similar meetings on Thursday.

Leaders of the three parties including Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge will meet in Mumbai on Friday, Raut said.

The state plunged into political uncertainty after the October 24 Assembly election results threw up a hung House, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at 105 seats, the Sena at 56, the NCP at 54 and the Congress at 44. Independents and smaller parties won 29 seats.

Governor BS Koshyari invited the BJP, Sena and NCP, respectively, but no party could prove a majority within the prescribed deadline.

Maharashtra was placed under President’s Rule on November 12 after the Governor told the Centre that no party was in a position to form the government in the state.

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