Maharashtra deadlock: BJP puts ball in Shiva Sena's court

MUMBAI: The BJP on Tuesday gave mixed signals to the Shiv Sena on government formation. Emerging after a more than two hour meet at the Chief Minister’s residence in Varsha, senior BJP leaders like Chandrakant Patil initially indicated that the party had hardened its stand against the Sena.

“We had a detailed discussion on the political situation. The mandate was for the BJP and Shiv Sena alliance to come to power. We will respect it and we will soon form a government.” Putting the ball in the Sena court he however added, “We haven’t as yet got any proposal from the Sena, our doors are open 24 hours for them.”said Patil. The latter had claimed that the Sena had not yet given a proposal to the BJP on power sharing arrangement.

However party leaders like Girish Mahajan and Sudhir Mungantiwar both said that the party would discusss with the Shiv Sena issues like the Sena demand for the Chief Minister’s post.


Both the leaders while speaking to reporters did not say explicitly that the BJP would consider the Sena demand on sharing the Chief Minister’s post. However they said that they would discuss the issue of differing perceptions on the deal that was agreed.

The Sena has maintained that there was no point in talking to the BJP as the latter has not even agreed that there was a deal to share the Chief Minister’s post. The BJP is now hoping that it publicly talking on differing perceptions of the deal would mean that the Sena comes on the negotiating table.