The BJP will hold talks with its estranged ally Shiv Sena on Friday on the issue of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party joining the Fadnavis government in Maharashtra.
"From tomorrow (Friday), senior BJP leaders Devendra Pradhan and Chandrakant Patil will hold talks with Sena leaders," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters on Thursday.
"It is not only the feeling of BJP and Sena workers, but also that of the people of Maharashtra that Sena join the government," Fadnavis said.
"BJP also wants that Sena join the government. We fully favour this," he said.
Fadnavis said the two parties, who were allies of 25 years before breaking apart weeks before the October 15 state Assembly elections, will soon join hands together to run the state government.
"A couple of days ago, I spoke to (Shiv Sena president) Uddhav Thackeray in this regard over phone. Accordingly, we are confident that we shall run the state government together," Fadnavis said.
Earlier this week, Chandrakant Patil indicated that the BJP and the Sena would ally again to run a coalition government in the state.
The two parties split on September 15, just three weeks before the Maharshtra Assembly elections which threw up a fractured verdict in the 288-member legislature last month.
The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 123 but effectively 122 due to the death of a legislator, the Sena claimed 63 seats, the Congress with 42, Nationalist Congress Party with 41, and the remaining 18 seats going to Independents and smaller parties.
The NCP announced its "unconditional external support" to the BJP in the interest of political stability, following which the Sena decided to sit in the opposition.
According to the available indications, the Fadnavis Cabinet may be expanded this week with the inclusion of a few Sena ministers.
If the Sena quits the opposition to join the BJP-led coalition, the Congress would be entitled to the post of Leader of Opposition.
0 Comments