This Article is From Nov 19, 2019

"Everyone Knows Selfishness Is Bad...": RSS Chief Amid BJP-Sena Fallout

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, without naming the two former partners of the previous alliance government in Maharashtra, warned that "both will face loss" if they fought over any matter

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said "everyone knows selfishness is a bad thing".

New Delhi:

The chief of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has weighed in on the recent fallout between the party and its longtime ally Shiv Sena over government formation in Maharashtra.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, without naming the two former partners of the previous alliance government in Maharashtra, warned that "both will face loss" if they fought over any matter.

"Everyone knows that selfishness is a bad thing but very few people give up their selfishness. Take the example of the country or of individuals," Mr Bhagwat said at an event in Nagpur on Tuesday, according to news agency ANI.

"Everybody knows that both of them will face loss if they are going to fight over a matter," he said.

Maharashtra came under President's Rule after none of the main parties, including the Congress and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party, could cobble up the number needed to form government. The BJP won 105, the Shiv Sena 56, while the NCP, Congress and others have 102 seats in the 288-member assembly.

The BJP, which was invited by the Governor to prove it had numbers to form government, declined the request and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis resigned.

The BJP and the Shiv Sena had fought the election together, but couldn't come to an agreement on power-sharing. The Sena demanded equal power-share under what it called was a "50:50 formula" discussed with BJP chief Amit Shah earlier this year, before the national election in May.

According to the Sena, the plan was for chief ministers from each party sharing the five-year term equally. The Shiv Sena later explored the possibility of forming government in alliance with the ideologically opposite NCP and Congress.

Sena troubleshooter Sanjay Raut said there will be a Maharashtra government led by his party.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar met with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday, following which Mr Pawar later told reporters that they needed more discussions.

With inputs from ANI

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