With no end in sight for the ongoing struggle between the Shiv Sena and the BJP over the quantum of power sharing in Maharashtra, senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut met Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Thursday evening, sparking speculation that the Uddhav Thackeray's party is looking for alternatives to form government in the state.
The meeting comes on a day when Uddhav said his party was in touch with both the Congress and the NCP, sending an ominous message to the larger saffron party.
Speaking to media after meeting Pawar, Raut said it was just a courtesy visit and they discussed the current political scenario in the state.
The power tussle between the saffron allies began soon after the results of the assembly elections were out on October 24, with the BJP failing to reach the halfway mark on its own and the Sena demanding for an equal division of power.
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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 NCP won 54 and the Congress bagged 44 seats.
On Thursday, the Sena made it clear that it had not given up its claim on the post of Maharashtra chief minister, saying that equal sharing of power must mean sharing of the top post, too.
Adopting a harsh tone, it accused the BJP of enacting "second act" of the "use and throw" policy while dealing with its ally.
Earlier in the day, a Sena delegation led by Aaditya Thackeray met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan. Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde, who was elected leader of the party's legislative wing earlier in the day, was also part of the delegation.
Interacting with media after meeting the governor, the younger Thackeray said his party hadn't heard anything from the BJP on power sharing. He added that Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray would take the final call on government formation.