Ramdas Athawale: Shiv Sena Should Accept Deputy Chief Minister's Post

Even as the Mahayuti alliance partners remains undecided on the upcoming government formation in Maharashtra, RPI chief Ramdas Athawale has said that BJP should give the deputy chief minister's post to the Shiv Sena. Speaking to news agency ANI, Athawale said: "I don't think the BJP will agree for rotational Chief Minister, but the position of Deputy Chief Minister can be given to Shiv Sena for 5 years. I think Shiv Sena should accept the Deputy Chief Minister's position for Aditya Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis should be Chief Minister," Athawale said.

Athawale reiterated his stance that BJP and Sena will form the government together as per people's mandate, but BJP can provide a ministerial berth to Sena in order to satisfy them, if they are adamant to give Deputy CM post in Maharashtra. "The claim on the chief ministerial post is certainly of the BJP. Shiv Sena says that only 124 seats were given to them. They could also be given ministerial post at the Centre," he added.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Shiv Sena's Diwakar Raote met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at 10.30 am, while, CM Devendra Fadnavis visited the governor at 11 am. Both parties maintained that the meeting was informal and nothing related to politics or formation of an upcoming government was discussed. Even after five days after the poll result, the saffron party remains undecided about the government formation in the state. 

READ: RPI's Ramdas Athawale urges BJP to consider Sena's 50:50 ultimatum

Alliance partner Ramdas Athawale urges BJP to consider Sena's demand

Even as RPI's chief Ramdas Athawale has demanded one cabinet and one State minister berth in Maharashtra government, he has said that BJP must take Sena's demand seriously. Speaking to news agency ANI, he said that both parties should talk and that he will speak to both the party. Moreover, Athawale added that if BJP is not ready for the 50:50 formula, it must offer Sena Deputy CM post or a ministerial berth in the Central government.

READ: Amid 50:50 tussle, BJP & Sena to meet Maharashtra governor separately

Sena's 50-50 formula

A day after the election results were announced, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, outside Uddhav Thackeray's residence Matoshree said that the Chief Ministerial post must be equally divided between BJP and Sena for 2.5 years each. He wanted BJP president Amit Shah to give the assurance in writing and to maintain the 50-50 formula that was sealed before polls. Moreover, Sena has put banners in the Worli constituency from where Aaditya Thackeray won the assembly polls declaring him as the next CM.

READ: Locked in power tussle, BJP and Sena try to win over Independent MLAs

Poll results in Maharashtra 

When the poll result was announced on October 24, the saffron alliance swept Maharashtra, winning a combined tally of 161 (BJP- 105, Sena -56). But the 'Maha- Agadhi' alliance (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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