Hours after Bhartiya Janta Party sealed Poll pact with its Maharashtra Ally Shiv Sena, Top Leadership brass of both the parties seem to be speaking in different voices altogether over which party will get the post of chief minister after the Maharashtra assembly elections, due later this year after General Elections 2019.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has been vocal about its demand for the post of chief minister post the elections. Earlier Party’s Spokesperson Sanjay Raut before the poll pact said that NDA should give CM Post to its allies.
READ: Shiv Sena lays new rule before BJP for alliance; says ‘Ally Partners should get CM Post in their States’
As per the tie-up announced on Monday for elections to Lok Sabha and state assembly, the BJP will contest 25 seats and Sena 23 of total 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. For assembly polls, the two parties will contest an equal number of seats after accommodating the small partners’ allies.
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday night told party workers at his Official residence that he had rejected the poll formula proposing that the party winning a maximum number of seats in assembly elections would get the post of chief minister. Thackeray said he had demanded that both the parties get the equal number of posts.
He added I am Balasabaheb Thackeray‘s son. I will strain every nerve of the party’s betterment. I am Sena will have its Chief Minister after Assembly Polls in Maharastra. Thackeray said he had demanded that both the parties get an equal number of posts.
“This formula was used by both parties (Shiv Sena and BJP) in the last 25 years. I have rejected it. What I have demanded is that both the parties get to share all posts equally,” Thackeray told the party workers. “The BJP has agreed to this, hence I have decided to forge an alliance,” he said.
A Video clip of his speech is taking rounds on Wednesday, sparking Sena may have leaked it to pacify its members who are wonder who they will campaign for the alliance after Sena in recent past launched scathing attacks on Centre Govt.
On the contrary, state Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil said the BJP’s stand is that the party winning more number of seats would get the post of chief minister even though “we (Sena and BJP) will contest on an equal number of seats in assembly polls”.
Sources in the BJP, however, said the party has achieved its objective to secure a section of votes in Lok Sabha polls by tying up with Sena.
According to sources, Shiv Sena’s main focus during negotiations with BJP mainly remained on the assembly elections and the Chief Minister’s Post.
Sena minister Ramdas Kadam ratcheted up tensions further on Wednesday by threatening to Pullout from alliance if Sena would not get CM Post. Sena Leader Subhash Desai also said not also CM but all ministerial post should be shared 50-50.
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