BJP attempts to pacify Shiv Sena with CM post sharing suggestions

MUMBAI: Union Minister and Republican Party of India (A) chief Ramdas Athawale on Monday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena should form the government in Maharashtra and can have their CM for three years and two years respectively.

Speaking to ANI in Parliament, Athawale said: "I met Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena leader) and urged him to ponder over a formula of having a chief minister from the BJP for three years, and from the Sena for remaining two years."

Athawale added that Raut then asked him to speak with the BJP regarding the formula he was suggesting to the Shiv Sena.

Athawale had earlier stated that Maharashtra would soon see an NDA government.

"I told Amit Bhai (BJP president Amit Shah) that if he mediates, then a way can be found out to which he (Amit Shah) replied, don't worry, everything will be fine. BJP and Shiv Sena will come together to form the government."

Maharashtra came under the President's Rule last week after all the parties failed to form a government in the state.

BJP, which emerged as the single largest party, could not stake claim to form a government as its ally Shiv Sena remained firm on rotating the Chief Minister's post and equal sharing of Cabinet berths.

Shiv Sena parted its ways with the BJP to explore ways to form a government. It, however, failed to prove the support of the required number of MLAs in the time given by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

The Governor had then invited NCP, the third-largest party, to show its willingness to form the government, failing which the President's Rule was imposed in the state on last Tuesday.

The Shiv Sena is now in talks with the Congress and the NCP to form a government in the state.

The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44. The majority mark in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly is 145.