CMs post in Maharashtra stumbling block
Mumbai
Top brass of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in no mood to placate a harried Shiv Sena leadership. Neither is the BJP central leadership in any hurry to end the stalemate with the Sena over government formation and power sharing. According to sources in BJP headquarters in New Delhi, neither, party president Amit Shah or any other central leader is likely to intervene anytime soon to end the deadlock.
The two biggest stumbling blocks in arriving at any decision, according to BJP leadership in Delhi is the demand of the Sena to share the Chief Ministers post. The leadership is also quite miffed at the escalation in Sena’s criticism of its leadership post declaration of the assembly elections on October 24. Sources in the BJP disclosed that the direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has not gone down well with the party, which even Fadnavis had endorsed on October 29.
Sources in the BJP disclosed that the leadership is in no mood to offer the CMship to the Sena. The BJP, however, is willing to consider offering the post of Deputy Chief Minister and about 13 cabinet rank portfolio’s to the Sena. However, the BJP leadership appears to be confident that the deadlock will end in the first week of November. Till then neither, Shah or any other senior BJP leader from Delhi is likely to fly down to Mumbai.
At best the BJP leadership in Delhi might come down for the swearing-in ceremony if at all the Sena relents and tones down its demands and joins the government. Sources added that at present the BJP leadership is content over installing its alliance government in Haryana. Sources further disclosed that in behind the scenes negotiations that have been going on with the Sena, BJP has made it clear to the Sena leadership of its unwillingness to share the CMs post and some key ministries. On the other hand the Sena is insisting on the formula be made in writing.
