No change in Shiv Sena's stand on govt formation: Sanjay Raut

Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said there was no change in his party's stand on government formation in Maharashtra and reiterated the demand for sharing the chief minister's post.

He also asked that if the people's mandate was for the 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance), why the BJP was not staking claim to form government.

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In a veiled attack on the BJP, he said those responsible for political instability were causing harm the state.

"There is no change in the Shiv Sena's stand on government formation; all our MLAs are supporting (party chief) Uddhav Thackeray," Raut said addressing a press conference here.

He asserted that the chief minister of the state will be from the "Sena only".

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"If the mandate is for 'Mahayuti', why not stake claim to form the government? Why have you (BJP) returned empty- handed after meeting the governor?" the Rajya Sabha member sought to know.

"When you say the mandate is for 'Mahayuti', the mandate is also for what was agreed upon when the alliance was formalised (before the Lok Sabha polls)," Raut said.

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The BJP and the Shiv Sena are engaged in a bitter tug-of-war over the latter's demand for equal distribution of portfolios and sharing the chief minister's post.

The BJP has rejected the Sena's demand for sharing the chief minister's post for two-and-a-half years each.

The tenure of the present Assembly ends on November 9.

(PTI)