Sharad Pawar's NCP Takes a Dig at Shiv Sena-BJP Power Tussle in Maharashtra With a Cartoon

Mumbai: NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto has taken jibe at the ongoing tussle between BJP and Shiv Sena over government formation in Maharashtra by sharing a cartoon with Sena's bow and arrow symbol, appearing to hang overhead and pointing directly at BJP's party symbol, the lotus.

Sharing the cartoon, Crasto tweeted in Marathi, "There is a proverb...Hanging over your head."

The BJP and the Sena, with 105 and 56 seats, respectively, in the new Assembly, are locked in a bitter tug of war over sharing of power. Ever since the results were announced on October 24, there have been statements from sections in the Congress-NCP, though not officially, hinting that a move by the Sena to look beyond the BJP for government formation may get positive feelers.

On Tuesday, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut upped the ante against the BJP, saying his party should not be compelled to look for an alternative to form the next government in Maharashtra and asserted there are "no saints in politics".

"We believe in the alliance (with BJP) as we contested the polls jointly. But the BJP should not compel us to commit the sin of looking for an alternative for government formation," he said.

"No one is a saint in politics," Raut added, possibly a hint to the senior ally that committing such a "sin" was not entirely unfathomable for the Sena. Raut claimed the two parties had agreed on an "equal power" sharing formula and had even made an announcement on it in Mumbai.

Raut’s reaction came a day after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis denied that the Sena was ever promised the chief minister's post for two-and-a-half years when the alliance was formalised before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Thackeray has been insisting that the 50:50 formula on sharing of power was "agreed upon" between himself, BJP chief Amit Shah and Fadnavis ahead of the Lok Sabha polls this year.

In the just-concluded polls to 288-member Assembly, the BJP won 105 seats, a loss of 17 seats compared to its 2014 tally.

The Sena's tally also came down to 56 seats from 63 in 2014. A resurgent NCP won 54, while its ally Congress bagged 44 seats.