Incorrect to see Mungantiwar's statement as threat: BJP leader Ram Kadam

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ram Kadam on Saturday defended minister Sudhir Mungantiwar's remarks that President's rule may be imposed if a new state government is not in place by November 7, saying that it is a procedure mentioned in the Indian Constitution.

Speaking to ANI, Ram Kadam said, "Sudhir Mungantiwar's statement was merely that till November 9, the government should be formed. If not, then, the President's rule will be implemented as per the procedure mentioned in the Constitution. It is wrong to consider it a threat."

"People have given vote to Mahayuti (BJP-Shiv Sena alliance) and we are confident that soon Devendra Fadnavis will take the oath of as Chief Minister and a Mahayuti government will be formed," he added.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday launched an attack on its ally BJP with whom it is engaged in a power-sharing tussle over Maharashtra government formation and said it will soon drop its "wait and watch mode" after BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar's "threat".

In the recently concluded Assembly elections in Maharashtra, BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena obtained 56 seats whereas NCP and Congress registered victory on 54 and 44 seats respectively in the 288-member Assembly.

After the announcement of results, Shiv Sena claimed that there was a 50-50 power-sharing agreement between the two parties before the 2019 parliamentary elections this year but Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the ally was not promised the chief minister's post for two-and-a-half years.

The tenure of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly ends on November 8.