Mumbai: In the changed political dynamics in Maharashtra after the resignation of Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister, the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine has decided to elect Uddhav Thackeray as its leader to stake claim for government formation, a senior Sena leader said Tuesday.
Shiv Sena is the second largest party in the state Assembly with 56 MLAs, after the BJP which won 105 seats, and entitled to be invited by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to stake claim for government formation after BJP’s Fadnavis announced his resignation.
“Uddhav Thackeray will be elected the leader of the three parties to stake claim for government formation at the evening meeting scheduled to be held in a city hotel. The three parties – Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – will then submit a joint statement to the governor to stake claim for government formation,” the Sena leader informed.
Most of the issues among the Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress have been sorted out, the leader stated. “I don’t think the three parties would need any more time to stake claim for government formation,” he said.
A senior official from Vidhan Bhavan said that with Fadnavis announcing his decision to quit, there is no need to hold a floor test Wednesday in the Assembly, as directed by the Supreme Court.
“Instead, the governor may invite the second largest party – Shiv Sena – to stake claim for government formation,” the official informed. He also added that the governor will require a joint statement from the Sena, NCP and Congress along with signatures of their MLAs.
Sena’s 56 MLAs along with the NCP and Congress’ 54 and 44 legislators, respectively, would take the combine’s tally to 154 in the 288-member House, where the majority mark is 145.
Agencies