Mumbai: Eknath Shinde meets Sanjay Raut at Lilawati hospital

Shiv Sena legislative party leader Eknath Shinde met party leader Sanjay Raut here at Lilawati hospital late night on Tuesday. Raut has been instrumental in reaching out to various leaders in a bid to garner support for Shiv Sena for the government formation in Maharashtra.

Raut was admitted to the hospital on November 11 following a complaint of chest pain. Earlier on Tuesday, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also met him at the hospital.

Shiv Sena Chief Udhhav Thackeray on Tuesday said that his party has to go ahead with Congress and NCP to form a government in the state and blamed BJP for the snapping of ties between the two parties over government formation.

While NCP and Congress indicated that they were not in a hurry to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra in the wake of the imposition of President's Rule and said they will sort out all issues among themselves and their allies before talking to Shiv Sena. Senior leaders of Congress and NCP on Tuesday held discussions about government formation in Maharashtra.

Congress and NCP had fought the assembly polls together. BJP had emerged as the single-largest party with 105 seats and Shiv Sena had finished second with 56 seats.

NCP leaders have said that a non-BJP government cannot be formed in the state without NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena joining hands.