Sena MLAs authorise Uddhav to take 'final decision' on govt formation

The Shiv Sena MLAs on Thursday authorised party chief Uddhav Thackeray to take the "final decision" on government formation in Maharashtra. Thackeray chaired a meeting of all party MLAs at his residence 'Matoshree' in suburban Bandra, where the legislators also reiterated that the formula of "equal sharing of posts and responsibilities" agreed upon before the Lok Sabha polls should be implemented.

"The Sena MLAs passed a resolution authorising Uddhavji to take the final decision regarding government formation," party legislator Shambhuraje Desai told reporters after the meeting ended. Desai denied that the Sena legislators will be shifted to a hotel in south Mumbai, amid fear of switching sides.

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The Shiv Sena has been maintaining that in February this year, before the Lok Sabha polls, it was decided that there will be equal sharing of posts and responsibilities between the party and the BJP. While the Shiv Sena has been insisting on sharing the chief minister's post, the BJP has rejected it.

After a BJP delegation met with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Thursday, BJP Maharashtra chief Chandrakant Patil said that the delegation discussed the legal issues arising from the delay in government formation, speaking to reporters outside the Raj Bhavan. He added that the mandate had been clearly awarded to the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and the people wished for a government to be formed soon. Briefing the governor about the current state of affairs, Patil said that BJP will meet with its MLAs and decide the future course. The current Maharashtra Assembly expires on November 9.

Maharashtra assembly elections

The saffron alliance--Mahayuti of BJP and Shiv Sena won a combined tally of 161 seats (BJP- 105, Sena -56). The Maha-Agadhi alliance of NCP-Congress made a comeback 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.  

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