Just a few days after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah said his party would lead the next government in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena hit back claiming its right to the Chief Minister’s post within the alliance.
“The Shiv Sena chief produced tigers who could wield the saffron flag. The Shiv Sena produced 18 MPs from the State. The saffron flag will fly on the Maharashtra Assembly and the Chief Minister [post] will be ours,” Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said at a party function on Wednesday.
The allies are set for a tussle over the top post after the BJP’s stunning performance in the Lok Sabha polls. No longer content with playing second fiddle to the Shiv Sena in the State, the party is set to demand a higher share of seats for the State Assembly elections. In 2009, the Shiv Sena had contested 169 seats compared to the BJP’s 119.
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Reacting to Mr. Thackeray’s statement, senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse said, “It’s clear within the alliance that the party with the larger share of MLAs will get the Chief Minister’s post. There is no point discussing this before the results.”