Mumbai: Shiv Sena leaders Eknath Shinde and Aaditya Thackeray are on the way to Raj Bhavan where they are expected to stake claim to form the government in Maharashtra after meeting Governor BS Koshyari on Monday evening.
Sources in the Shiv Sena said, “As per the governor’s invitation to express our willingness and ability to form the government issued to us Sunday, we are responding to it positively. We will seek time from the governor to prove majority in the house.”
Eknath Shinde has been elected as the leader of the Sena’s legislative wing. Aaditya Thackeray, son of Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, was elected from Worli in Central Mumbai in the last month’s Assembly polls.
The Shiv Sena has won 56 seats in the 288-member House and is seeking support from the NCP (54) and the Congress (44) for forming its government in the state.
Sources said that as of now, the Shiv Sena will now form the government with the help of the Congress who agreed to support the former after a phone call from Uddhav Thackeray to Sonia Gandhi. Initially the Congress was not very keen to support Shiv Sena, but decided to do so when NCP supremo Sharad Pawar intervened.
Later in the evening in a watershed development in Maharashtra politics, the Congress said it will support a Shiv Sena-led government.
The development came after a hectic day crowned by Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi first speaking with Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, then faxing a letter of support to the Shiv Sena, followed by a copy being faxed to the Raj Bhavan, sealing the tripartite deal.
The Shiv Sena meanwhile claimed the Congress and the NCP have sent it crucial letters extending their support to prop up a government in Maharashtra which will be headed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.
This was revealed by the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ in its online edition at 6.25 pm.
As of now, sources indicated that the Congress are ready to support Shiv Sena. Uddhav Thackeray’s party will also get the support of at least 10 independents and hence the total number of seats for the three party alliance may well cross the 160-mark.
Agencies