The Samajwadi Party MLAs have assumed importance in government formation in Maharashtra as governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, after rejecting Shiv Sena’s request for more time, has now invited the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to stake claim.
Samajwadi Party Maharasthra state president Abu Asim Azmi said: “Yes, we were allies with the Congress-NCP and we will support the NCP. Let’s see what happens tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. The scenario is still fluid here. Until now, when the ball was in BJP and the Shiv Sena’s courts, we chose to keep quiet as we were against them both. But now things have changed for us. We have a role to play.”
NCP emerged as the third-largest party in the recent Maharashtra assembly polls and the SP was an ally in the Congress-NCP alliance. The alliance gave SP three seats to contest: Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Bhiwandi East, and Aurangabad East.
Both the SP winners-- Maharasthra state president, Abu Asim Azmi and Raes Sheikh--on Friday were in Lucknow to meet the party’s national president Akhilesh Yadav.
Akhilesh Yadav felicitated both of them. Azmi said: “We will do whatever Akhilesh ji will ask us to do in Maharasthra.” At that time, the BJP and Shiv Sena were still looking to resolve their differences.
{{/usCountry}}Akhilesh Yadav felicitated both of them. Azmi said: “We will do whatever Akhilesh ji will ask us to do in Maharasthra.” At that time, the BJP and Shiv Sena were still looking to resolve their differences.
{{/usCountry}}Azmi won the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat and Sheikh won from Bhiwandi East.
The BJP won 105 and its then ally Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats. The Congress and allies won 104 seats.