We are not obstacle to Maharashtra govt formation: Sena

On a day when Maharashtra’s politics shifted to the national capital with back-to-back meetings, the Shiv Sena on Monday said that it was not an “obstacle” to government formation.

“Since the last few days a confusion is being created...let me assert that Shiv Sena is not a “roda” (obstacle) to government formation. Whosoever has numbers can form the government,” Shiv Sena spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said.

His comments came after a Sena delegation, including state Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam, called on Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai.

“The governor’s post is a Constitutional office...out visit was purely a courtesy call,” Raut said, adding that political scenario was discussed in the meeting with the governor.

“When the issue (of political situation) came up, we explained our viewpoint....the governor heard it patiently,” he said.

The visit comes a day after Raut claimed that Shiv Sena has the support of 170 to 175 MLAs and reiterated the claim over the post of chief minister.

This is the second Sena delegation that met the governor since the declaration of results of Maharashtra polls.

Last week, a delegation led by Shiv Sena’s legislature party leader Eknath Shinde and Aditya Thackeray had called on the governor.

The Shiv Sena has asked BJP for a 50-50 ratio and the post of the chief minister, which they claimed was decided in the February meeting between Thackeray and his BJP counterpart Amit Shah and later announced by incumbent Devendra Fadnavis.