Sena talks sweet, backs BJP for CM's post, favours coalition

As BJP prepared to elect the leader of its legislature party tomorrow who will be the party's first Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena today appeared resigned to backing it in government formation but there was no clarity yet on whether it will join the ministry.

The newly elected BJP MLAs will meet here at 11 am tomorrow in the presence of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and party's general secretary in-charge of the state J P Nadda to elect their leader.

"After the legislature party leader is elected, we will call on Governor C Vidyasagar Rao and stake claim to form government tomorrow itself," BJP general secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy told PTI.

State BJP president Devendra Fadnavis, 44, is being seen as clear favourite for Chief Minister's post.

According to party sources, the new government will be sworn in on October 31 in the presence of top central leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several of his Cabinet colleagues and BJP Chief Ministers.

Speaking openly in favour of a BJP-led coalition government for the first time, senior Sena leader and spokesman Sanjay Raut said it will be a "stable" dispensation.

"If Shiv Sena and BJP come together to form a government it will be stable. Our ties with BJP are very old. Whatever happened during the election we have have forgotten. Ours is not like an India-Pakistan fight.

"The people have given mandate to BJP. It has got more seats. It is our duty (to lend support to BJP). Sena's support will always be there for a Chief Minister who works in the interest of Maharashtra," he said.

Though back channel talks were on between the leaders of the two parties which had parted ways just before the poll following failure of seat-sharing talks, there was no clarity yet on whether Sena will be part of the government or support it from outside.

Sharad Pawar's NCP, with 41 MLAs, has already offered unconditional outside support to BJP, which has 121 MLAs and pre-poll ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha one in the 288-member Assembly, in its bid to form government.

Making things easier for BJP further, the party made it clear that it will bail out the new government during the trust vote if Shiv Sena does not join it.

"If Shiv Sena joins the government, there will be no problem. We will not be part of the government but do not want to create instability by voting against a minority government. So, NCP will abstain, if there is voting," party spokesman Nawab Malik told PTI.

NCP would like to honour the people's mandate which is in favour of BJP, the single largest party, he said.