Mumbai: The Shiv Sena looks set to make up with the BJP after protracted negotiations and squabbling over form and substance of support to the fledgling BJP govt. in the state.
The Chief Minister is set to expand his council of ministers tomorrow and it is very likely, sources say that this will include at least 10 Shiv Sena members of a total 20. This development comes less than a week before the Maharashtra Assembly Winter Session in Nagpur scheduled on December 8.
The BJP is said to have offered the Sena four to five cabinet and seven Minister of State berths. The Sena will probably get the public works department, power, tourism, agriculture, and energy and water conservation ministries among others.
Originally they had desired the portfolios of home ministry and deputy CM, but it seems that is not to be. After ending their 25-year-old relationship just before the elections due to disagreements on seat-sharing, the two parties engaged in a month-long stand-off on the Sena’s inclusion into the minority government.
Fadnavis is currently in New Delhi for consultations with the central BJP leadership and a formal announcement is expected after his return.
After the meeting with the Sena on Tuesday, Mr. Fadnavis flew to New Delhi and briefed BJP chief Amit Shah about the development. “Talks have been positive. I’m sure a decision will be made soon,” the CM said. Senior Sena leader and MP Anil Desai said echoed that a decision would be conveyed soon. “The BJP has given its proposal to our leader Uddhav Thackeray. He is directly co-ordinating with the BJP leadership.”
With the entry of the Sena into the government, the minority govt that was dependent on the NCP’s outside support will no longer require it. However since it was unconditional, at least overtly, it reduced the Sena’s bargaining power.
The BJP has 122 MLAs, and the alliance will have a major relief and a comfortable majority of 185 seats in the 288-member Assembly. It can provide Maharastra with a stable government.
The Sena and BJP met late on Tuesday night to thrash out the remaining differences in portfolio allocation after earlier in the day Mr. Fadnavis has said around 70-80 percent of the talks were completed.
Changed Sena’s stance triggers fight for LoP
The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP, former alliance partners, for almost 15 years, on Wednesday laid claim to the post of Leader of the Opposition, though the former has one member more than the latter. This follows the changed stance of the Shiv Sena vis a vis the govt.
The Congress has 42 and the NCP 41 in the 288-member House. Once the Sena joins the Devendra Fadnavis Government, which is likely in a day or two, the Congress would be the single largest Opposition party in the House.
However, the NCP has taken the view that since five members of the Congress stand suspended, the strength of the Congress is down to 37 and hence, it is the single largest Opposition party.
The NCP has also claimed that it had a pre-poll alliance with Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), which has won two seats and few independents, making it a bigger party in the assembly than the Congress.
The trust vote melee
Five members of the Congress were suspended in the melee that ensued hours after the Speaker announced that the Fadnavis Government has won the trust vote by a voice vote.
In protest against the decision, the Congress MLAs had attempted to stop Governor C. Vidyyasagar Rao from entering the assembly premises to address a joint session of the Assembly and the Council. The Speaker had later suspended five members of the Congress on the ground that they had misbehaved with the Governor.
“Our pre-poll alliance with the BVA and support of two independents mean that we have more number of MLAs than Congress’ 42. Hence, it is our demand that we should be given the post,” said Nawab Malik, chief spokesperson of the NCP.
Mr. Malik said that his party will stake claim to the Opposition Leader’s post in the State Council as well.
However, the Congress is in no mood to oblige the NCP. “They are still the members of the Assembly. Our party’s strength is more than that of the NCP. We are sure that the Opposition Leader will be from our party,” said Manikrao Thakre, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president.
