Maha talks move to Delhi; saffron tussle continues

Talks to form the next government in Maharashtra gained momentum on Monday, with just four days left for the tenure of the existing legislative Assembly, which

Talks to form the next government in Maharashtra gained momentum on Monday, with just four days left for the tenure of the existing legislative Assembly, which ends on November 9. Chief minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis met Union home minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah in New Delhi and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar met Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

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The saffron allies, BJP and Shiv Sena, have been locked in a tussle over a power-sharing pact since the results of the Assembly elections were announced on October 24. While BJP is the single-largest party with 105 seats, Sena has won 56 seats in the 288-member Assembly.

According to BJP leaders, who did not wish to be named, Fadnavis discussed with Shah a formula to get Sena on board, and also a Plan B if negotiations fail.

The official reason given for the CM’s visit, however, was to seek financial assistance from the Centre for the state’s farmers who have been hit by unseasonal rain that has destroyed crops in 352 tehsils.

When asked about the government formation in Maharashtra, Fadnavis said the “state will soon have a new government”.

Speaking to the media at Maharashtra Bhavan in New Delhi, after his 40-minute meeting with Shah on Monday morning, Fadnavis said, “I will not react to statements made by others on government formation. No one from BJP will react to this. Maharashtra needs a new government and it will be formed soon.”

Meanwhile, Pawar met Gandhi in the evening to discuss the possibility of supporting a Sena-led government if the saffron partners fail to come together, said a senior NCP leader on condition of anonymity.

Pawar told reporters — after the meeting — that no one from Sena had approached or sought support yet and that BJP had the mandate and numbers to form the government with its ally.

“The mandate given by the people of Maharashtra to NCP is to sit in the Opposition, but you cannot talk about the future,” he said.

However, Pawar said he would hold another meeting with Gandhi in a couple of days after returning from Mumbai, where he would be holding discussions with his party leaders.

BJP’s game plan

A senior BJP leader, who did not wish to be named, said the party will wait for Sena till the last minute and hope the ally scales back its demand to share the chief minister’s post.

However, if the Sena does not give up its claim, the BJP will go for a Plan B, which is to form the government on its own as the single-largest party in the state.

“We will wait until November 7 for the Sena to come to the negotiating table. If not, we will form the government,” said the leader.

“After the swearing-in, we will get some time before we face the floor test in the Assembly. We are short of 25 MLAs, which is not a big number.”

An independent legislator backing the BJP, Ravi Rana added fuel to this buzz when he said that 20 to 25-odd Sena legislators were in touch with Fadnavis.

“Let the Sena sit in the Opposition, at least 20 to 25 their MLAs will join BJP. They support Fadnavis as CM,” said Rana.

The BJP, however, denied that any attempts will be made to poach other party legislators.

“There is no need for this. We are confident that a BJP-Sena government will come to power and form the government soon,” said BJP leader and finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar.

It is not clear what BJP is willing to offer Sena, besides additional ministerial berths, including possibly revenue and finance departments, but the ruling party has indicated earlier that the CM’s post as well as the home and urban development department will be kept away from its ally. The 1995 formula between the allies when the first saffron government came to power could be adopted, said another senior BJP leader and MP. This formula includes deputy CM post for the party with fewer numbers, along with certain important departments like finance, public works department, irrigation, among others.

Pawar-Gandhi
parleys

Pawar met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in Delhi on Monday evening to discuss options for the two parties if BJP failed to form the government in the backdrop of its bickering with the Sena. Pawar, after meeting state leaders from Congress and his party over the past few days, met Sonia to tap the alternatives with them to form the government. The two parties believably arrived at the consensus to back Sena directly or indirectly with the sole intention of keeping their common enemy BJP out of power. If not, the parties are looking at supporting Sena or the NCP candidate for the Speaker’s post. However, both parties want Thackeray to walk out of the BJP led NDA. Gandhi has believably told Pawar that the Sena should come clean in its intention of snapping ties with the BJP.

“The Sena is expected to do it by walking out of NDA or not voting in favour of the BJP during the floor test, while electing the speaker or during a confidence vote in the state Assembly. The NCP may even field its candidate for the post of the Assembly speaker with support from the Sena,” said a top Congress leader, requesting anonymity.

Pawar, while addressing the media in Delhi after the meeting with Gandhi, said that the people’s sentiments were not in favour of BJP to form the government. “But we have been observing that Sena has been consistently taking a strong stance against BJP and demanding the post of the CM,” he said. Pawar also said that he has decided to meet Gandhi again in the next two days after deliberating with state leaders from both parties.

According to NCP insiders, Pawar is also expected to take a firm assurance from Sena if it really wants support from two parties to form the government. “Soniaji was positive about backing Sena, but on the condition of the assurance of a firm stance against the BJP. She even ensured that party general secretary and Maharashtra in-charge Mallikarjun Kharge was not on the board during the talks. Kharge, who is against supporting Sena, was replaced by senior Congress leader AK Antony during the meeting,” said the leader.

Leaders in both the parties believe that Pawar, by saying that he will meet Gandhi again in two days, has indicated that the opposition parties are preparing themselves with plan B, if BJP fails to form the government over next few days.

The NCP chief also denied possibility of him coming back to the state as the CM, which has been speculated in the state. When asked whether the BJP-Sena were playing a ‘bargaining game’, Pawar said “I think the game between the two is serious.”

Oppn gears up

Meanwhile, the Opposition in the state seemed to be prepping for a possible BJP operation to poach their legislators. NCP state chief Jayant Patil, who addressed a press conference in Mumbai said that more defections would not be tolerated. “We will all come together (Congress, NCP and Sena) to put up a joint candidate against any legislator who will defect now to join the BJP. Defections will not be tolerated,” said Patil.

Sena leader Neelam Gorhe, however, said that her party did not expect any legislator to defect from its fold.

“This is a hypothetical scenario. We don’t expect any defections from the Sena,” she said.

Sena leaders at
Raj Bhavan

Earlier in the day, Sena leaders Sanjay Raut and Ramdas Kadam met Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday. Terming the visit as a courtesy visit, Raut challenged the BJP to stake claim to form the government.

“We met the Maharashtra governor and discussed the current political scenario. We told him that a new government should be formed at the earliest and we will not lose any hurdle in this. Whoever has majority should form the government,” said Raut.

Political analysts said the current scenario seemed unpredictable, but they still believed that BJP-Sena would form the government together.

“Fadnavis has given Sena a long rope. BJP will wait and watch for the Sena to accept its new power-sharing proposal. It will be in Sena’s best interests to align with BJP instead of going in for a minority government supported by NCP-Congress and earning the wrath of BJP’s central leadership,” said political analyst Surendra Jondhale.