Shiv Sena MPs allotted seats on opposition side in Parliament: Pralhad Joshi

Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday said that Shiv Sena MPs are being allotted seats on the opposition side in both houses of Parliament as its minister has resigned and the party is "working out" alliance with the Congress and NCP to form a government in Maharashtra.

Speaking to media in Delhi, he said, "Shiv Sena is not coming for NDA meetings. Its minister Arvind Sawant has resigned. The party is trying to work out with Congress, so naturally, they have opted to sit in the opposition and we have agreed to that."

"We are allotting them a seat in opposition both in Lok Sabha and in Rajya Sabha," he added.

The trio - Shiv Sena, Congress and the NCP are making efforts to form a non-BJP government in Maharashtra where the President's Rule was imposed earlier this week. The three parties have prepared a draft for their common minimum programme (CMP).

The Shiv Sena and the BJP, who fought the polls together, could not form the government due to differences over power-sharing.

The BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the state with 105 seats in 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44.