Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari amid an ongoing tussle between his party and the BJP. Government formation in the state has been stalled for 11 days since the two parties together won a majority in the assembly polls last month.
The Shiv Sena has demanded equal power-sharing in the state under what it calls was a "50:50 formula" discussed with 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 BJP has firmly rejected the idea and insists Devendra Fadnavis will be chief minister for a full term.
The BJP with 105 seats and Shiv Sena with 56 seats together have a clear majority in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly. The Nationalist Congress Party won 54 seats and Congress finished last in the state election, winning just 44 seats.
The Sena, escalating tension, has said it has the support of 170 MLAs to install its chief minister. The party is seen to have reached out to the NCP whose party chief Sharad Pawar met with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, further fueling speculation.
