Shiv Sena mulls Plan B to form government in Maharashtra as talks with BJP stall

Mumbai: As the tussle between BJP and Shiv Sena over the formation of a new government in Maharashtra continues, the next 48 hours would be very crucial for state politics. Shiv Sena sources hinted that dialogue with the BJP are completely closed for now, and the party is all set to work on implementation of its Plan B.

According to sources, Shiv Sena's plan B includes getting outside support from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress to form the government in Maharashtra. One of the top leaders from Shiv Sena hinted that his party's Plan B has now become their Plan A. The party has already held talks with other political parties, the Sena leader added.

Earlier one senior party leader each from the Congress and NCP have reportedly confirmed that the UPA partners are trying to chalk out an alternative to keep the BJP out of power in the state. The development has come after NCP chief Sharad Pawar met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday where the two leaders discussed the political situation in the state.

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Though Pawar has denied any role in the formation of the next government in Maharashtra, ANI sources have learnt that attempts are being made between NCP and Shiv Sena to reach an understanding, where the Shiv Sena will get NCP-Congress support from outside.

Notably, the NCP had won 54 seats while its ally Congress garnered 44 in the Maharashtra assembly election held on October 21.

The delay in government formation has been caused by differences in the BJP and Shiv Sena on power-sharing. Shiv Sena has insisted that the two parties had a '50-50' power-sharing agreement before the election.

But Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has maintained that Shiv Sena was not promised the chief ministerial post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was sealed before the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.

The BJP and Shiv Sena had fought the assembly poll together, and the former emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats, while the latter got 56 in the 288-member state assembly.