'Don't force us to look for alternatives': Shiv Sena warns BJP

With the power-sharing talks between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena remaining inconclusive even four days after the results of the assembly elections were out, the Maharashtra party on Monday issued a clear warning to its senior partner, saying it should not be compelled to look for other alternatives. Talking to NDTV, Sena leader Sanjay Raut also refused to rule out the possibility of his party taking the support of the Congress or the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Sena's fresh warning comes on a day when Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is from the BJP, and Shiv Sena leader Diwakar Raote met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari separately.

With the BJP failing to reach the halfway mark on its own, Sena has demanded  for an equal division of power.

In the polls to the 288-member assembly, the BJP won 105 seats, a loss of 17 seats compared to 2014, while the Sena's tally also came down to 56 seats from 63. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP won 54 and the Congress bagged 44 seats.

"(Shiv Sena chief) Uddhav Thackeray has clearly said we will wait for the BJP. But don't compel us to look for other alternatives. We don't want to commit that sin," Raut told the TV channel, adding that “no one is a saint in politics”.

Earlier, Uddhav Thackeray had reminded the BJP of the 50:50 formula "agreed upon" between himself, BJP president Amit Shah and Fadnavis ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Many Sena leaders have suggested that the BJP share the post of chief minister with their party on a rotational basis, a demand unlikely to be conceded by the national party.

With inputs from PTI