BJP pulls out of BMC mayor race, Shiv Sena hints at Fadnavis Govt now being safe

When asked if the Fadnavis was still on "notice period" as announced by the Sena leadership in run-up to the elections, he said, "only Thackeray can answer this query."

Mumbai, March 5: A day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paved the way for the Shiv Sena to install its Mayor in BMC, the warring ally on Sunday hinted there is no threat to the stability of the BJP-led coalition government.

"We have now kept aside the resignation letters which we were carrying in our pockets," Shiv Sena leader and Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam told reporters here. Interestingly, it was Kadam who had said the ministers of his party were carrying resignation letters in their pockets, after the Sena president Uddhav Thackeray broke the alliance with the ruling BJP ahead of the BMC polls last month.

When asked if the Fadnavis was still on "notice period" as announced by the Sena leadership in run-up to the elections, he said, "only Thackeray can answer this query."

Sena is the junior partner of the BJP in the Central and state government. The apparent thaw in Sena's aggressive stand vis-a-vis the BJP came a day after Fadnavis announced the BJP will not field its nominees for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Mumbai in the Mayoral election, scheduled this week.

The CM's announcement of the BJP virtually relinquishing prominent civic posts paved the way for Sena to install its Mayor in the country's richest civic body. Sena has been demanding Mayor's post by virtue of its numerical strength at 84 in BMC, just two more than BJP. Sena had also claimed support of at least four Independent corporators.

However, given the hung verdict, both the Sena and the BJP could not reach the magic figure of 114 seats needed to rule the 227-member civic body on their respective strength. In an indication of rapprochement, senior Sena leaders attended a press conference addressed by the CM at Sahyadri Guest House here.

PTI