Maharashtra Guv invited BJP to form govt as Cong-Shiv Sena didn't stake claim: Prasad

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday said that Governor invited the Bharatiya Janata Party and Ajit Pawar led NCP to stake claim to form the government in Maharashtra as the Congress, Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar did nothing to show that they have a majority to form the government.

"I would like to ask the Congress, Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena whether any of them presented an application to the Governor? In the morning, apart from the collective claim by the BJP and Ajit Pawar led NCP showing a clear majority, there was no counter-claim before the Governor," Prasad said at a press conference here.

According to reports, earlier today, many Congress leaders had accused Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari of helping Devendra Fadnavis.

"We are going to provide a stable government which will provide good governance with honesty. Each and every person in Maharashtra was questioning us why we were not forming the government when they had given us the mandate," Prasad said.

Speaking on the question of the Fadnavis led government lacking the majority, he said, "The Vidhan Sabha is the place where the majority needs to be proved. And it will be proved there."

Prasad also took a dig at Shiv Sena for its alleged barbs at the central leadership of the BJP, and added, "BJP has silently borne the attacks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Never before it has happened that one remains in alliance and also attacks at the same time."

In a surprise development, BJP's Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the Maharashtra Chief Minister for a second term while NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister of the state. The oath was administered by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan.

The move came at a time when deliberations between Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena on government formation had seemingly reached the final stage on Friday.

The BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party in last month's assembly elections, could not stake claim to form a government as its ally Shiv Sena remained firm on rotating the Chief Minister's post.

The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44.