Shiv Sena cancels talks, accuses Fadnavis of denying what was said before camera

Mumbai, Oct 29: Hitting back at caretaker Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who had said that he was not aware of any agreement on '50-50' formula, the Shiv Sena cancelled the scheduled meeting which was supposed to take place at 4 pm today.

Fadnavis earlier made it clear today that there will not be any sharing of '50-50 sharing of CM post, as Sena has been demanding, and the Bharatiya Janata Party had never agreed to it.

Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said if Fadnavis is denying it, then "we need to change the definition of truth".

"I don't know what the CM has said. If he is saying that the '50-50 formula' was never discussed, then I think we need to change the definition of truth. What was discussed, regarding the issue the CM is talking about, is known by all. The media was there," Raut told ANI.

CM himself had uttered the '50-50 formula', Uddhav ji had spoken about it too. It happened before Amit Shah. Agar ab ye kehte hain ki aisi koi baat hui nahi to main pranaam karta hoon aisi baaton ko. (Now if they are saying such things were not discussed, i bow to such things). He is denying what he had said before the camera," he added.

Shiv Sena wants CMs from both sides with each having a two-and-half-year tenure. Sena boss Uddhav Thackeray had said a 50-50 formula was agreed upon with BJP president Amit Shah and Fadnavis ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

This is Devendra Fadnavis's first clear stand on the issue of '50-50' formula for which the Shiv Sena has been pushing the BJP from the day election results were declared.

BJP will be leading the stable and efficient government of Mahayuti (alliance) for 5 years...Our party president has confirmed nothing has been decided on the Chief Minister's post to Shiv Sena. No formula is decided yet, reports quoted Fadnavis as saying.

Responding to this, Raut said that Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has cancelled the talks. There is nothing left to talks, he said.

"Discussions between BJP-Shiv Sena were scheduled for 4 pm today. But if the CM himself is saying that the '50-50 formula' was not discussed then what will we even talk about? On what basis should we talk to them? So Uddhav ji has cancelled today's meeting," he said.

The Sena contested elections on 124 seats of the 288-member Maharashtra assembly and won 56 while the BJP contested 164 seats and won 105.

Sena is adamant on the '50-50 formula' (rotation of CM post) which, according to Uddhav Thackeray, was agreed upon by BJP president Amit Shah and Fadnavis before the Lok Sabha polls. BJP and Shiv Sena are pre-poll partners, but both have staked claimed to the top chair. Sena wants CMs from both sides with each having a two-and-half-year tenure. Sena boss Uddhav Thackeray also said a 50-50 formula was agreed upon with BJP president Amit Shah and Fadnavis ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.