JOIN USOpting to put on two political hats, the Shiv Sena said on Sunday that their role as opposition party in Maharashtra will have no bearing on its equation with the BJP at the Centre as the party would support the NDA government during the winter session of Parliament, beginning Monday.
After an all-party meeting, convened by parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday evening, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told reporters that “differences in Maharashtra will have no bearing on Sena’s relations with BJP at the Centre”. He also clarified that Shiv Sena will “support government agenda in the Winter Session of Parliament”, indicating a possibility of coming together at the state has not been exhausted completely.
This despite the fact that the regional party has donned the hat of principal opposition in Maharashtra Assembly with its winter session slated to start from December 8.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis government is likely to go for an expansion ahead of the session and the talks are on to bring on board Shiv Sena to get the requisite numbers for crossing the half way mark. In the floor test, the BJP survived due to the support of the NCP against whom it had fought the Assembly polls.
Maharashtra PWD minister Chandrakant Patil had told reporters in Kolhapur that Shiv Sena “will be accommodated” in the state Cabinet before Fadnavis goes for an expansion of his team.
Several attempts between the BJP and the Shiv Sena have failed with both the parties accusing the other with having big brother attitude and not compromising on ministerial quota.