'BJP-Sena to form govt, will stick to '50-50' formula'

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said his party and the BJP will form the next government in Maharashtra, and stressed the two parties will stick to the pre-decided "50-50" sharing formula.

With the early trends suggesting the NCP and the Congress collectively fairing better than the 2014 polls, Raut ruled out possibility of the Shiv Sena joining hands with the opposition parties to form the government.

"The BJP and Shiv Sena will form government in Maharashtra," he told reporters here.

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Asked about the possibility of the Shiv Sena embracing the NCP and Congress to form government, Raut said, "No, we fought the polls in alliance with the BJP. We will go ahead with the tie-up. There will be no change in the pre-decided 50-50 formula."

He said Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will hold talks on implementing the formula.

On the Congress and NCP collectively fairing better than the 2014 polls in the state, Raut said the opposition also needs to be strong in a democracy.

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He noted that NCP chief Sharad Pawar "using his experience" and fanning parts of the state also gave some success to the opposition party.

"But we are also winning seats in good number," the Rajya Sabha member added.

On BJP candidate Udayanraje Bhosale trailing against NCP's Srinivas Patil in the Satara Lok Sabha seat bypoll, Raut said the former "was to face defeat".

Bhosale quit the NCP recently to join the BJP.

As per the current trends made available by the Election Commission, the BJP and Shiv Sena were leading in 101 seats and 65 seats respectively.

The NCP and Congress were marching ahead in 50 and 39 segments respectively.