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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would resume negotiations with the Shiv Sena from Friday about the latter’s participation in the Maharashtra government, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday.
However, the BJP has clearly indicated there cannot be any pre-condition for resumption of talks. Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray will lead the talks on behalf of his party, while the BJP has authorised Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Dharmendra Pradhan, and State Cooperation Minister Chandrakant Patil to negotiate.
While announcing the decision to resume talks with the Sena, Fadnavis said the two parties had an alliance for the past 25 years, but it snapped ahead of the state Assembly election. He also said the people of Maharashtra strongly felt that both the BJP and the Sena should jointly run the government.
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Fadnavis, who had last week admitted that he faced huge criticism over the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) decision to support the state government from outside, said he had held a telephonic conversation with Thackeray two days ago. He said he was hopeful that the talks would be positive.
The BJP’s decision is crucial as Fadnavis is expected to expand his Cabinet next week. The BJP, with 121 legislators, has the support of one member of its ally Rashtriya Samaj Party. The government had won the confidence motion by voice vote on November 12, but the Shiv Sena and the Congress questioned the manner in which the government managed to win.
Shiv Sena has 63 legislators, while the Congress 42 and NCP 41. Four petitions have also been filed in the Bombay High Court challenging the validity and legitimacy of the BJP government in Maharashtra.
The resumption of talks comes close on the heels of Shiv Sena's blistering attack on the state government for the latter's inefficiency in tackling the drought-like condition in 123 talukas, deteriorating law and order, and the state police's failure to arrest those responsible for the killing of members of a Dalit family in Ahmednagar district. Moreover, Shiv Sena legislator Eknath Shinde assumed the post of leader of opposition in the state Assembly and the party announced it would play the role of a vigilant opposition party.
This apart, series of talks were held between the BJP and Shiv Sena since Fadnavis assumed office on October 31. However, the two parties have so far failed to arrive at a consensus on the allotment of key portfolios including home, power, and irrigation. Shiv Sena was insisting the party should get at least five Cabinet ministers and 5-10 ministers of state.
On top of it, NCP president Sharad Pawar warned his party was holding the brief for BJP government's survival. In the same vein, he also asked the NCP members to be ready for mid-term poll. This further prompted the BJP to re-establish relations with the Sena and seek its participation in the government.
