Maharashtra : Governor invites Sena to stake claim to form government

Maharashtra : Governor invites Sena to stake claim to form government

Mumbai: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday invited the Sena, the second largest party, to stake claim to form government, hours after the Bharatiya Janata Party declined such attempt.

"The Shiv Sena will have to inform the governor about its stand by Monday (November 11) evening 7.30 pm," a Raj Bhavan official said.

In the 288-member Assembly, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sena each has 105 and 56 MLAs, respectively.

Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party won 44 and 54 seats, respectively, in recent assembly elections. The midway mark is 145.

Koshyari asked Shiv Sena legislative party leader Eknath Shinde to "indicate willingness and ability" of the party to form government in Maharashtra, a Raj Bhavan statement said.

The governor had on Saturday invited the Bharatiya Janata Party, the single largest party, to stake claim to form government.

However, with the Bharatiya Janata Party unable to muster numbers in view of the Shiv Sena's stand not to support it on the issue of sharing of power and the post of the chief minister, the party on Sunday declined to form government.

"The Governor has, therefore, asked the leader of elected members of the second largest party, Sena, Eknath Shinde, to convey its willingness and ability to form the government," the statement said.

With the Bharatiya Janata Party backing off from the race, the onus to form government now rests with the Shiv Sena, which has indicated that it might rope in the Congress and the NCP to prop up a government.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had earlier claimed support of 170 MLAs.

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