The crisis over government formation in Maharashtra deepened on Thursday, with the BJP accepting that the process has been delayed and it was exploring legal options.

On the other hand, Shiv Sena accused the BJP of pushing the State towards a presidential rule.

As the term of the current Assembly expires on Saturday, it a Constitutional necessity to form a new government before that deadline.

Sena guards MLAs

Maharashtra Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan, amid talks of a caretaker Chief Minister being appointed if none of the parties stakes claim to form a new government.

Moreover, with no visible development on government formation, the Shiv Sena leadership also took anticipatory measure and moved some of its MLAs to Hotel Rangsharda, which is about five km away from the residence of Sena’s President Uddhav Thackeray.

The party MLAs also held a series of closed-door meetings at Thackeray’s residence and at the party headquarters.

BJP meets the governor

On Thursday afternoon, a BJP team led by Maharashtra unit President Chandrakant Patil called upon Koshyari and updated him about the political situation in the State.

Addressing the media after his meeting with the Governor, Patil said that though the BJP and its alliance partners have a clear mandate, the government formation was taking time and, therefore, various legal options were discussed with Koshyari. Due to the delay, which was more than expected, “the BJP high command will now formulate the future strategy,” he said.

Shiv Sena’s spokesperson Sanjay Raut told mediapersons that if the BJP leaders met the governor, why did they not stake claim to power? What stopped them?

“Why did they not carry a list of MLAs supporting them? The BJP is unable to raise a majority on its own strength. Why don’t they give up this desire for power and tell the Shiv Sena that they cannot form the government,” he said.

On the issue of legal options being explored by BJP, Raut said that the Constitution is not the reserve of the BJP. A Shiv Sena Chief Minister is also within the ambit of the Constitution.

Raut also denied the party’s move to shift the MLAs to Hotel Rangsharda as an attempt to ring-fence them and keep away from poaching by the BJP.

In Nagpur, Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari said that Fadnavis should head the new government as he is the head of the State BJP legislature party.

Gadkari also ruled out any comeback to Maharashtra politics.

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