No proposal to join Sena to keep BJP out of power: Balasaheb Thorat

The Congress party in Maharashtra on Friday dismissed reports of receiving proposals to join hands with Shiv Sena to keep BJP out of power in the state. President of Maharashtra Congress Committee Balasaheb Thorat refuted the rumors and said that no such proposal was received from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. 

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Balasaheb Thorat on possibility of an alliance with Sena

"We (Congress) have not received any proposal from Shiv Sena yet. But if anything comes from them, we will get in touch with the party high command in Delhi and see what can be worked out," Thorat said in a press conference. 

READ: Shiv Sena To Push Aaditya Thackeray For Maharashtra CM

As per the Election Commission, BJP bagged over 105 seats while Shiv Sena won 56 seats. On the other hand, the opposition comprising of Congress and NCP won 44 and 54 seats respectively. While interacting with the media, Thorat said that Sena has to come out of the BJP's influence.

"Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena would have to come out of the BJP's influence as everybody knows how the party had treated the Shiv Sena and now it is entirely for the Sena to decide what to do," said Thorat.

In addition, he also claimed that the Congress top brass is in constant touch with independent candidates who emerged victorious in the Maharashtra Assembly polls. 

"The independent candidates do not want to support the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance in the state. As they want to be part of the Opposition, we are expecting more [seats]," he said.

READ | Maharashtra Cong Chief: 'No Plan To Support Sena To Keep BJP Out'

Sena pitches Aaditya Thackeray's name for CM

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena has demanded that Aaditya Thackeray be made the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. A poster calling Aaditya Thackeray as future Chief Minister was spotted in Worli, the constituency from which he has been elected in Maharashtra Assembly elections. Aaditya Thackeray, the 29-year-old son of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had won by defeating Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Suresh Mane by a margin of over 67,000 votes. Aaditya is the first member of the Thackeray family to contest elections.

Earlier on Thursday, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had raised questions over whether the BJP or Shiv Sena would get the top seat in the state this time. "The important question is who will be the chief minister? When the Lok Sabha elections were held, we had decided on the 50-50 formula in the state. (BJP state chief) Chandrakant Patil raised some issues this time which we understood but we can only tolerate so much. After all, we have to run our party too. If the need arises Amit (Shah) Ji should come here to carry out what was decided earlier," he had said during the press conference.

READ: Cartoon War Between BJP & Shiv Sena Over Maharashtra CM Post

(With ANI Inputs)