New Delhi:
Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athawale has extended his support to Devendra Fadnavis as Maharashtra chief minister. He also called for one chief minister for the full five-year term.
"The 'mahayuti' (BJP-Shiv Sena alliance) has got a clear majority. Yesterday Devendra Fadnavis was elected BJP legislative leader. We have decided to support his name for chief minister as he is the only front runner for us," Athawale said after meeting of smaller parties of who were part of BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.
Athawale also said that Shiv Sena has the key to the government however it should settle for a "compromise" on its role in the coalition government because it does not have "strong" alternatives to its alliance partner, the BJP.
"Shiv Sena has the state's 'kundali' in its hand right now. They have to decide which way they want to go, and I think they should decide quickly," Ramdas Athawale told ANI. His remarks come after senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut earlier on Wednesday said,"Maharashtra ki kundali mein jab sarkar banna likha hoga, tab sarkar banegi (What will be, will be, according to Maharashtra's fate)."
RPI also demanded four ministerial berths in the next cabinet to other allies of BJP and Shiv Sena. Athawale demanded one cabinet post for his own party.
BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won a majority in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, with the former emerging as the single-largest party with 105 seats. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats in the elections. The alliance is yet to sort out their differences over the power equation for the state government formation.
