Uddhav says coming days will tell whether Sena is in power or not, Raut claims Sena has support of 170 MLAs

Mumbai:

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said that coming days will tell whether the Sena is in power or not. Speaking to newspersons at Aurangabad on Sunday after taking a tour of regions affected by unseasonal rains in Kannad tehsil, the Sena president remarked “when our government shall come to power, as I had promised you farmers, I shall keep my promise of clearing all dues from your 7/12 land extract”.

Commenting upon Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announcement of allocating Rs 10,000 crore as special assistance for immediate relief to farmers, the Sena president termed it as “insufficient”. Demanding that the government declare a “wet famine”, Thackeray demanded that irrespective of the damage caused the government should give Rs 25,000 per hectare as compensation to the farmers. He remarked that one cannot get the idea of exact damage caused by conducting an aerial survey and added that he too like others could have assessed the situation by sitting in Mumbai. Thackeray remarked that he had not come here to stage a drama with television cameras in tow.

Thackeray stated that the government should give immediate relief to farmers and desist from Panchanama and stop all loans and dues recovery from the farmers. He said that in a fortnight the farmers have to get ready for the Rabbi crop season. The Sena president further warned the crop loan insurance companies of insisting on paper work and issuing dues recovery notices or else face action the Sena style.

Meanwhile, senior Sena Leader Sanjay Raut while speaking to newspersons earlier in the day remarked “the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has won maximum number of seats has still not staked claim to form the government, so Uddhav ji has come to a final decision of making Shiv Sena’s Chief Minister. If the arithmetic fits right, we will place it in front of media soon.  Discussions between BJP-Shiv Sena will take place only on CMs post. BJP has misused Govt machinery. We have more than 170 MLA supporting us, the figure can even reach 175”.

The Saamana executive editor in his weekly column “Rokhthok” meanwhile has termed the impasse over the government formation like chariot stuck in mud of arrogance. He dared BJP to impose Presidents Rule in Maharashtra. “It would be party’s biggest defeat of the century for the BJP”, remarked Raut.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former minister Nitin Raut remarked “the Sena should not take the Congress support for granted in its government formation bid. Sena ideology does not gel with the Congress ideology. Congress stand is that it will sit in the opposition. Congress is a national level party. If we go along with the Sena then in coming days it will affect Congress chances in Delhi and Jharkhand assembly polls”. Speaking to newspersons while on tour of affected regions in Akola, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis remarked that the impasse in government formation shall end soon as ultimately, everyone has to work for the benefit of the people. Meanwhile, in a bid to further heighten the tensions, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar remarked “I have received message from Sanjay Raut a while ago. This is the first time after polls that he has messaged me. Will call him.”