Maharashtra's struggle to find a government continues

Mumbai : With Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party not coming to a conclusion on power sharing of the CM post, Maharashtra is struggling to find a government even a week after the results of the October 21 Assembly Elections were announced.

Earlier on Thursday, Shiv Sena announced Eknath Shinde as its legislative party leader instead of Thackeray family scion Aaditya, who won from Worli in his debut elections. The news came in a day after Bharatiya Janata Party revealed Devendra Fadnavis is BJP’s legislative party leader.

Interestingly, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who had been quite a vocal over 50-50 power sharing formula, met NCP chief Sharad Pawar; he claimed it to be a courtesy meet on the occasion of Diwali and to discuss political developments in the state.

The meeting gets more attention as there are reports of Shiv Sena thinking of joining hands with Congress-NCP amid delay in the formation of government in the state.

The NCP has repeatedly said that it won’t ally with the Sena and would instead sit on the Opposition benches as that is the mandate given to it by the voters. The Congress, meanwhile, has said that it would convey to its top leadership if an offer were to come from the Sena.

Shiv Sena, on the other hand, has made claims that Bharatiya Janata Party had agreed on 50-50 power sharing formula ahead of the elections.