Nobody objected to Fadnavis being CM before polls: Shah

A day after President's rule was imposed in Maharashtra, Union Home Minister and BJP national president Amit Shah on Wednesday said that any party or group having numbers can still approach the governor for government formation. He also clarified that the Vidhan Sabha has been kept under suspended animation.

Shah's statement came amid allegations by Congress-NCP MahaAghadi alliance and Shiv Sena, a former ally of BJP-led MahaYuti combine, that they have been denied opportunity by governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to form the government and President's rule was rushed through by the BJP-led Centre.

"Even now those who have numbers can form government can approach the governor," Shah told a TV channel. He added that enough time was given before the President's rule was imposed.

"Before this, in no state was so much time given... 18 days were given. The governor invited parties only after the assembly's tenure ended. Neither Shiv Sena nor Congress-NCP staked claim and neither did we. Even if today any party has numbers it can approach the governor," he said.

Shah said the governor has not denied chance to anyone. "A learned lawyer like Kapil Sibal (of Congress) is putting forth childish arguments like ‘we were denied a chance to form government' in Maharashtra," he said. Shah said that the Opposition is playing politics over the issue, dragging a constitutional post into it.

Shah broke his silence on Shiv Sena's charges and accused it of coming up with new demands on the issue of 50-50 power sharing ratio and rotation of chief minister's post.

Shah said there was no objection when he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in public rallies said that then chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has been endorsed for the top job again.