"There is no Dushyant here...": Shiv Sena on why govt formation taking time

Mumbai, Oct 29: While the BJP maintains that there is no question of negotiating on the chief minister's post, the Shiv Sena, in a veiled threat to its ally, on Tuesday said: "We have other options too".

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. 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 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. Uddhav Thackeray has said that we have other options too but we don't want to do the sin of accepting that alternative. Shiv Sena has always done politics of truth, we are not hungry for power.

"Uddhav Thackeray ji has said that we have other options too but we do not want to do the sin of accepting that alternative. Shiv Sena has always done politics of truth, we are not hungry for power," Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said.

Ever since the results were announced on October 24, there have been statements from sections in the Congress-NCP, though not officially, hinting that a move by the Sena to look beyond the BJP for government formation may get positive feelers.

Even in Haryana Assembly elections, the BJP fell short of a majority, but swiftly stitched an alliance with the Dushyant Chautala's JJP.

When Raut was asked why the government formation is taking time despite the two parties being in a pre-poll alliance.

"There is no Dushyant here whose father is in jail. Here it is us who do politics of 'dharma and satya', Sharad ji who created an environment against BJP and Congress who will never go with BJP," Raut added.

To add to the uncertainty, Maharashtra Congress President Balasaheb Thorat has reportedly said that he was open to being approached by the Sena if it left the BJP behind.