Independent MLA Manjula Gavit extends support to Shiv Sena in Maharashtra

Manjula Gavit, an Independent MLA from Sakri Assembly Constituency on Wednesday extended support to Shiv Sena to form the government in Maharashtra.

Gavit gave an official letter to Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence Matoshree stating that she supported the party.

Earlier in the day, she went to meet Thackeray with Sena secretary Milind Narvekar.

The development comes amid an ongoing tussle over government formation in the state between the BJP and the Shiv Sena.

The Shiv Sena will hold a legislative party meeting at its headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday.

The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won an absolute majority in the Maharashtra Assembly polls with the former emerging as the single-largest party with 105 seats. Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats in the elections. The alliance is yet to sort out their differences over the government formation in the state.

After the polls, Shiv Sena is adamant about the implementation of the 50:50 formula proposed by BJP during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The formula is a rotational arrangement in which a Chief Minister from each party will split the five-year term equally.

Shiv Sena has got the support of at least five independent MLAs including Prahar Janshakti Party chief Bacchu Kadu, his party MLA Rajkumar Patel, Ashish Jaiswal, Narendra Bhondekar and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-backed independent MLA Shankarrao Gadakh.