BJP minister sings Hindi song on 'strange bond' with Shiv Sena

Amid the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena tussle on sharing power in Maharashtra, State Finance Minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar recited the opening lines of a popular Hindi film song to highlight the "strange bond" between the two parties. He also mentioned that the  'Mahayuti' (grand alliance) of BJP, Sena and other parties will form the next government in the State. 

"Tere mere beech mein, kaisa hai yeh bandhan anjaana, maine nahi jaana, tune nahi jaana (What kind of strange bond is this between us, I don't know about it, you don't know about it)," Mungantiwar said, reciting the opening lines of a song from the 1981 Hindi romantic tragedy Ek Duuje Ke Liye. 

READ | Amid Sena's 50-50 Ultimatum, Fadnavis Assures Stable Govt Under BJP CM

"People across the State have voted for development and progress. We need to understand this mandate given by the people," he said. Come what may, the Mahayuti of BJP, Sena and other parties will form the next government in the State, he added. The Sena has been unrelenting so far on its demand for rotation of the CM's post between the two allies. BJP MLAs met to elect Devendra Fadnavis as their leader, a formality before he is sworn in as Chief Minister for the second time.

"There should be no speculation. We had said that the government will be formed by the Mahayuti," Fadnavis said after the election. There was talk that the BJP may offer the Deputy CM's post and more portfolios in Maharashtra and at the Centre to the bickering ally but these won't include top portfolios like Home, Finance and Revenue. 

READ | Maharashtra: Jan Surajya Shakti MLA Vinay Kore Extends Support To BJP

Sena's 50:50 formula

The BJP and Sena are locked in a tug-of-war over rotational chief ministership. The Sena is pushing for a commitment - that too, in writing - that it would get the post of Chief Minister for half the term under the 50-50 formula. The BJP has been opposed to the proposal. The Sena has claimed that the BJP is reneging on its promise of equal partnership made before the Lok Sabha polls. The Sena camp points to a February Press conference in which Fadnavis said, "We have decided equal sharing of posts and responsibilities once we come to power again." Fadnavis has said the Shiv Sena was not promised rotational chief ministership.

READ | Maharashtra: Two Independent MLAs Extend Support To BJP

Poll results in Maharashtra 

The saffron alliance swept Maharashtra on Thursday, October 24, winning a combined tally of 161 (BJP- 105, Sena -56) to award CM Devendra Fadnavis a second term. But the comeback of the 'Maha- Agadhi' alliance (NCP-Congress) took the Mahayuti by surprise as the NCP bagged 54 seats while the languishing Congress too bagged 44 seats. Though the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will form the next government, it was handed a diminished mandate compared to 2014 where it won 185 seats.

READ | Maharashtra CM Fadnavis: BJP-led Alliance Will Provide Stable Govt

(With PTI inputs)