The parties would find a way to work together: Thackeray
MUMBAI : Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray held out hope for a stable government through a new political configuration today, hours after President’s Rule was declared in Maharashtra.
Brushing off ideological differences with long-time rival Congress, he said if the BJP and Mehbooba Mufti’s People’s Democratic Party could find a way to work together, it is possible in the current situation as well.
“We are from different ideologies but we can come together just like the BJP has done,” he told reporters this evening. “The BJP and Shiv Sena were together for many years but now Shiv Sena has to go with the Congress-NCP. We’ll hold further talks with both of them,” he added.
Faced a tough call, Sonia Gandhi had insisted on taking things slow – leading to the Governor inviting Sharad Pawar’s Party to form the government. That option was exhausted too as the NCP asked for more time and President’s Rule was declared in the state.
Mr Thackeray, who called Sonia Gandhi multiple times on Monday and received what the Congress said was a “courtesy call” from the Congress chief, expressed confidence that they would be able to work out their differences.
“I am finding out how parties with different ideologies forged alliances with the BJP. I want to question BJP on ideology — how they came together with Nitish Kumar, Paswan, PDP and Naidu,” Uddhav Thackeray said. “We will hold discussion and because we are from different ideologies, these discussions may take some time to come to a consensus”.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel told the media today that the Congress and the NCP have not committed to Shiv Sena yet. “The Congress-NCP are yet to discuss few issues only after its sorted out, discussions with Sena will take place,” Mr Patel said.
The President’s rule can be revoked before the six-month period if a stable government is formed. In the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 105 seats. The Shiv Sena, which was a BJP ally, garnered 56 seats while NCP and Congress got 54 and 44 seats respectively.
Uddhav Thackeray along with son Aaditya and senior party leaders met the newly elected party MLAs at Hotel Retreat in Malad. Hours after their meeting, Uddhav said despite Sena, NCP and Congress having different ideologies, the parties would find a way to work together.“Yesterday we formally requested Congress-NCP for their support to form the government. We needed 48 hours, but the Governor didn’t give us time,” the Sena chief said.
After the meeting that lasted 2.5 hours, NCP and Congress, in a joint statement, said they would further discuss the future strategy on the formation of the government. “Policies, programme have to be finalised before making a claim to form govt in Maharashtra” NCP chief Sharad Pawar said.
Sena contended that the Governor’s decision was violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. “It is ex facie arbitrary, unreasonable, capricious and mala fide exercise of power in order to ensure that Shiv Sena is precluded from getting a fair and reasonable opportunity of proving majority on the floor of the House,” the petition said.
(Bureau Report With Agency Inputs ).
