Ramdas Athawale Proposes New '60:40' Formula For BJP-Shiv Sena To End Maharashtra Impasse

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday proposed a new ‘60:40’ for to end the ongoing impasse in Maharashtra. Athawale said that he asked Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to compromise on the 50:50 formula for the chief minister’s post and form a government in the state. “I had talked to Sanjay Raut ji about a compromise. I suggested to him a formula of 3 years (CM from BJP) and 2 years (CM from Shiv Sena) to which he said that if BJP agrees then Shiv Sena can think about it. I will discuss this with BJP,” he told ANI.

Earlier on Sunday, Athawale said that Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah told him that the BJP-Sena alliance will form the next government in Maharashtra.

“Don't worry, everything will be fine. BJP and Shiv Sena will come together to form a government,” Amit Shah was quoted as saying by Union Minister Ramdas Athawale. Shah said this when Athawale asked the BJP chief to mediate in order to find a solution to the ongoing crisis in the state.

The Shiv Sena is holding talks with the Congress and NCP for government formation in Maharashtra. They have even a consensus on a Common Minimum Programme (CMP), the basis of their proposed alliance government. Sena also announced that it would not attend a meeting of NDA constituents ahead of the winter session of Parliament.

Sena leader Sanjay Raut also said that formal severance of ties with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was now only a formality, and he had "learnt" that Sena MPs would now be sitting on opposition benches.

The Sena also accused the BJP of having intentions to indulge in "horse-trading" in the state, which is under President's rule since November 12.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party fell out with the BJP over sharing of chief minister's post after the two allies won a comfortable majority in the last month's assembly polls.

The Sena's lone minister in the Narendra Modi government, Arvind Sawant, resigned on November 11. "I have learnt that the meeting (of NDA constituents) is being held on November 17. We had already decided against attending the meeting considering the developments in Maharashtra...our minister resigning from the Central government," Sanjay Raut said.

Asked if only a formal announcement of the Sena walking out of the NDA remains to be made, Raut said, "You can say that. There is no problem with saying that".

Raut also said that "we have learnt that sitting arrangement of our MPs in the house has changed", implying that Sena MPs would occupy opposition benches in Parliament.

Maharashtra has been under President's rule since November 12 after no party or alliance staked claim to form the government. The BJP and the Sena, which fought the October 21 polls in an alliance, secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats, respectively, in the 288-member assembly. The Congress and NCP, pre-poll allies, won 44 and 54 seats.

With PTI Inputs