'50-50 A New Biscuit?': Owaisi's Jibe At BJP, Shiv Sena Over Maharashtra Govt Formation

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday took a jibe over tussle between the BJP and Shiv Sena to form a government in Maharashtra saying whether ‘50-50’ is a new biscuit in the market. “What is this 50-50, is there a new biscuit (in the market)? How much 50-50 will you do? Do something for the people of Maharashtra. They (BJP and Shiv Sena) are not bothered about the destruction that rain has caused in Satara. Farmers are worried but all they talk about is 50-50,” news agency IANS quoted Owaisi as saying.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats in the elections. BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won a majority in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, with the former emerging as the single-largest party with 105 seats.  However, the alliance is yet to sort out their differences over the power equation for the state government formation.

Owaisi, however, said, “AIMIM will neither support BJP nor Shiv Sena to form government in the state.”

Earlier, Shiv Sena slammed BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar’s over his ‘President’s Rule in Maharashtra’ statement, the leader gave a curt reply to media queries on Saturday. In its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, Shiv Sena had blasted the BJP for the ‘President’s Rule’ remark saying that it was an insult of the highest constitutional post. Replying to Shiv Sena’s vitriolic attack, Mungantiwar said, “We were asked what would happen if govt is not formed in time. We simply answered that according to provisions of constitution, President's rule will be imposed. Suppose, if a teacher answers queries of students, is it taken as warning?” he said.

"What the common people have to make out of the threat given by Mungantiwar? Is that supposed to mean that President of India is in our (BJP's) pocket or that the seal of the President is lying in the office of the BJP in Maharashtra? Are these people trying to convey that the BJP could impose the President's rule in Maharashtra using that seal in the event of that party not able to form its government?" the Sena questioned in the edit in the party mouthpiece "Saamana".The Marathi editorial titled "Insult to Maharashtra, Is President in your pocket?" described Mungantiwar's comments "undemocratic and unconstitutional."

“Maharashtra may head for President's rule if the new government in the state is not in place by November 7,” Finance Minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar had said on Friday. His comments came even as there appeared no headway in government formation eight days after results of the October 21 Assembly elections.