The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday said that it will not form the government in Maharashtra. BJP state chief Chandrakant Patil addressed the media on Sunday evening, and announced that the party cannot form the government at this point of time.
“Despite the mandate with the alliance with Shiv Sena, we will not form government,” Patil said outside the Raj Bhavan. “We have conveyed our decision to the Governor that we will not form the government.” He accused the Shiv Sena of wanting to disrespect the people's mandate.
The Shiv Sena has been adamant on its demand for a rotational chief ministership. Patil wished "good luck" to the Sena if it wanted to form the government with the help of opposition Congress and NCP.
Caretaker chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with other BJP leaders, had gone to the Raj Bhavan after the party's core committee conducted two meetings on Sunday to decide the future course of action in the state. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari had had asked the BJP to “indicate the willingness and ability” to form the government in Maharashtra.
The Maharashtra BJP core committe members Fadnavis, state unit head Chandrakant Patil, and senior leaders Girish Mahajan, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Ashish Shelar and Pankaja Munde had met earlier to decide take the decision regarding forming the government.
The BJP and the Sena had together won 161 seats in the 288-member House, way above the halfway mark of 145.
(with inputs from agencies)
