Unexpected: Kharge, Rahul on Maha poll results
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the outcome of the Maharashtra Assembly elections was unexpected.
With Shiv Sena still playing the hardball with the BJP demanding 50-50 alliance formula, the government formation in Maharashtra is likely to be delayed to this month-end.
After analysing the poll results, where the BJP gave a below-par performance, Shiv Sena has demanded the implementation of 50-50 alliance formula in the state.
The Shiv Sena chief described the mandate as an “eye-opener for many”, and said people of the state kept democracy alive. “We had agreed to contest fewer seats (than the BJP), but I cannot accommodate the BJP every time,” he added. “I should allow my party to grow.”
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Earlier, on the day of vote counting, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had reminded the BJP of the 50-50 alliance formula saying that it was time to implement it.
While speaking about the 50-50 alliance formula, Thackeray said, “The main question is, who will be the chief minister?”
Posters calling Aaditya Thackeray the “future Chief Minister” surfaced in a part of Mumbai on Friday, indicating that Sena workers want him to take the top job despite his father ruling the move out.
However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has seemed unwilling to give the CM post to the Junior Thackeray but said that he can have the deputy post.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of newly-elected MLAs of his party on Saturday.
The BJP-Sena combine bagged around 160 seats in Maharashtra, way below their expectation of crossing the 200-mark.
Meanwhile, the Congress and the NCP on Friday clarified that they would prefer to sit in the Opposition following reports that certain leaders in the alliance were contemplating moves to break the BJP-Shiv Sena pact.
“The election mandate for us is to be a responsible and strong Opposition. The Congress, NCP and the smaller allies will do that,” said state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat.
Congress’ Vijay Wadettiwar said that the Sena must approach the party if they want an alternate arrangement.
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