mumbai

Updated: Nov 15, 2019 13:40 IST

Amid speculation that the National Congress Party (NCP) may seek chief minister’s post for 2.5 years, Shiv Sena senior leader and member of Parliament Sanjay Raut on Friday asserted that his party will hold the post for the full term.

Addressing a press conference, Raut said, “The Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena only. In fact, for the next 25 years Chief Minister of the state will be from Sena only.”

The two parties and the Congress are in talks to form a government in the state after pre-poll allies – the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party – despite getting the numbers did not form a government as they could not agree on the modalities.

Raut added that the potential allies had finalised a common minimum Programme (CMP), which would be discussed in the meeting between Congress President Sonia Gandhi and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar scheduled over the weekend in Delhi.

On the speculation that the Shiv Sena and NCP would get 14 portfolios each and the Congress 12, Raut said, “There is no need to worry about portfolio sharing formula.”

He added that the Congress and the NCP leaders have vast experience of ruling Maharashtra and this experience would benefit Shiv Sena during this alliance government.

Meanwhile, BJP senior leader Ashish Shelar said that Maharashtra won’t accept the drama that was unfolding.”We and entire Maharashtra is watching who is creating a rift between PM Modi and Uddhav Thackeray daily on television screen.”

Earlier, because of the respect for Balasaheb Thackeray, everybody used to go to Matoshree for meetings. Now just for the sake of grabbing power, people are leaving Matoshree and touring the five star hotels and resorts, Shelar added.

Shelar’s comments came a day after Raut slammed the BJP president Amit Shah for creating rift between PM Modi and Uddhav Thackeray by keeping Modi in the dark about the discussion on the 50:50 power-sharing agreement.