(Pic: NDTV)
A senior leader BJP leader has on Wednesday said that there
would be no oath ceremony in Maharashtra without the Shiv Sena. Noticeably the
Sena has taken another step towards its Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis's,
second term amid its unrelenting demand for rotation of the top post between
the two allies.
BJP
sources revealed that a group of BJP MLAs recently met to elect Devendra
Fadnavis as their leader - a formality before he is sworn in as Chief Minister
for the second time.
However,
soon after the election Fadnavis had said, “There should not be any
speculation. We had said the government will be formed by the mahayuti
(alliance)”.
While
going through the motions, the party has been deep into back-channel
negotiations to bring the Sena around by offering key posts including the post
of Deputy Chief Minister. The BJP has, according to sources, also offered more
portfolios to its cantankerous ally, both in Maharashtra and at the center. But
the offer does not include top portfolios like Home, Finance and Revenue for
now.
The
Shiv Sena has so far stuck to the point it made right after the Maharashtra
election results last week about a "50:50" deal that it said was
discussed before the national elections earlier this year.
Uddhav
Thackeray spoke about the deal at a press conference at the time, in the
presence of BJP chief Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis. Favnavis, on the other
hands denied that such a deal was discussed in his presence. There will be no
government without the Sena. We will form the government together. There will
be no swearing in without the Sena," Girish Mahajan, a senior BJP leader
close to Mr Fadnavis, told NDTV.