New Chief Minister of Maharashtra will be from Shiv Sena, at any cost, party leader Sanjay Raut said on Sunday after its poll ally BJP announced not to form government in the state.
"Party chief Uddhav Thackeray clearly said today that Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena. If Uddhavji has said so, then, it means that there will be Chief Minister from Shiv Sena, at any cost," Raut told media after being asked about the BJP's decision of not forming government in Maharashtra and whether the Shiv Sena will form the government with NCP and Congress.
He continued, "If the BJP does not form the government in Maharashtra then how can be the Chief Minister from their party. They have always said that the Chief Minister will be from their party, but how will this happen now."
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has asked the leader of elected members of the second-largest party, the Shiv Sena, Eknath Shinde to indicate the "willingness and ability" of his party to form the government in Maharashtra.
Earlier today, addressing a press conference after meeting Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, BJP's Maharashtra unit chief Chandrakant Patil said, "We will not form the government in the state."
"BJP, Shiv Sena, RPI, and other parties formed the coalition before the assembly polls. People have given the mandate to our alliance to form the government. And that is why the Governor invited us. But the Shiv Sena has not shown interest in forming the government. So now we will not form the government. We have conveyed this to the Governor," Patil had said.
"This mandate was to work together and if the Shiv Sena wants to disrespect the mandate and form the government with the Congress and the NCP, then they have our good wishes," he had added.
The term of state assembly ended yesterday. The BJP had emerged as the single largest party in the assembly polls winning 105 seats while the Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats.
( With inputs from ANI )