Maharashtra: "BJP will form govt and last a full five term"

New Delhi, Oct 28: With the Shiv Sena repeatedly emphasising on 50-50 sharing of power after the election results, BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said that the BJP has emerged as the single largest party "by a wide margin", adding that Sena's demands would be addressed appropriately.

Shiv Sena and the BJP, are locked in a dispute over formation of the new government in the state. The Sena, which believes its alliance partner has been squeezing it out to carve out a larger role for itself, wants the BJP to share the chief minister's post rather than play second fiddle to it.

BJP has maintained that Maharashtra will soon get a BJP-led government and asserted that the assembly election results in the state are an endorsement of public support for its dispensation. BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao noted that the BJP has emerged as the single largest party "by a wide margin" with its tally of seats being more than the combined total of the opposition alliance of the Congress and NCP.

"With this public support, Maharashtra will soon get a BJP-led state government that will last a full five term and fulfil people's aspirations. Maharashtra results are an endorsement of public support for a BJP-led government," he told PTI.

Asked about Sena's demand for an equal division of power with many of its leaders seeking the post of chief minister for the party, Rao said the BJP leadership has taken note of their statements and will respond to them appropriately. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is from the BJP, and Shiv Sena leader Diwakar Raote on Monday met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari separately amid the ongoing tussle between the ruling alliance partners over forming the next state government.

In the polls to the 288-member assembly, the BJP won 105 seats, a loss of 17 seats compared to 2014, while the Sena's tally also came down to 56 seats from 63. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP won 54 and the Congress bagged 44 seats.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray reminded the BJP of the 50:50 formula "agreed upon" between himself, BJP president Amit Shah and Fadnavis ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Many Sena leaders have suggested that the BJP should share the post of chief minister with their party on a rotational basis, a demand unlikely to be conceded by the senior partner.