Koshyari declines Shiv Sena's request for more time to submit letters of support

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari met a delegation of Shiv Sena which expressed willingness to form a government in the state but he declined the party's request for a three-day extension for submitting 'requisite' letters of support from other political parties.

A press release from Maharashtra Raj Bhavan said that a delegation of Shiv Sena met Governor and expressed willingness to form the government.

"However, they couldn't submit requisite letter of support. They submitted a letter requesting a three-day extension for submitting letters of support. Governor expressed inability to give further extension," the release said.

Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray had said that his party's willingness to form the government in Maharashtra was conveyed to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

"We told the Governor that we are willing to form the government. We asked for at least two days' time but we were not given the time," Thackeray told media persons after meeting the Governor.

"The claim to form the government was not denied but the time was denied. That is why we came here within the 24-hour time span, which was allotted to us. We will continue to put in efforts to form a stable government in the state," he said.

Thackeray said the Shiv Sena was holding talks with the members of both the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and that is why his party had sought some more time from the Governor.

"Both the parties -- Congress-NCP -- are speaking to us. MLAs are speaking to us. As talks are on, as the second-largest party it was our right to come here. We have expressed our willingness to form the government. We have asked for the extension of the deadline by 48 hours," he said.

Shiv Sena has been seeking to form a non-BJP government in the state after disagreement with BJP over power sharing.