Maharashtra: Amid power tussle, Shiv Sena claims support of 170 MLAs

Mumbai : 10 days after people announced verdict that BJP and Shiv Sena together can make the government in the state; the power-sharing of CM post is becoming a big hurdle in the process. With a much delay in the process of forming the government, a lot of speculations are being made on the situation.

On Sunday, Shiv Sena escalated the issue with its leader Sanjay Raut claiming that the party would soon be appointing their Chief Minister with a support of 170 MLAs.

While Sanjay Raut made a surprising claim, Bharatiya Janata Party's Devendra Fadnavis expressed confidence that the impass will end soon and they will soon form the government in the state.

On the other hand, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray did not commit any deadline to formation of government.

In the recently concluded Assembly Polls, BJP had emerged out as the single largest party with 105 seats and the Sena had bagged 56 seats, collectively with 161 seats they are capable of forming the government.

In another development, the Sena on Sunday appeared to have reached out to the NCP whose chief Sharad Pawar is scheduled to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday.

Responding to Mr Raut's claim about the Sena having support of 170 MLAs, Mr Pawar said he was "unaware" how the Sena leader had arrived at this number.

"The Congress-NCP and other allies have a strength of 110 seats (which includes Congress'' 44 and NCP''s 54). And we have a mandate to be in the opposition," Mr Pawar said.