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Updated: Jul 26, 2020 23:06 IST

The new government in Maharashtra will be in place sooner than expected, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut signalled on Wednesday, trimming the ‘first week of December’ timeline that he had indicated just a day earlier for Maharashtra’s grand alliance to be sealed.

“I can tell you that the process of government formation will be completed in the next five-six days and a popular government will be formed before December,” Sanjay Raut told reporters in national capital Delhi amid speculation about a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nationalist Congress Party boss Sharad Pawar.

Farmers distress, and not politics, is on the agenda of the meeting.

It has still sparked off a buzz given that it comes just when Pawar’s NCP, Congress and the Shiv Sena are in the middle of discussions to form an unusual alliance in Maharashtra. It also comes days after Pawar sought to play down the NCP-Congress’ talks with the Sena while PM Modi heaped praises on Sharad Pawar’s party for the conduct of its leaders in Parliament.

Sanjay Raut signalled that no politics should be read into these developments or Pawar’s meeting.

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“If a leader meets the prime minister, it doesn’t mean that something is cooking. The prime minister is for the entire nation… Farmers are facing problems in Maharashtra. Pawar sa’ab and Uddhav sa’ab always think about farmers,” Raut told reporters.

“If Uddhav Thackeray comes to Delhi regarding the farmers issue, and all MPs meet PM ‘toh kya khichdi pakti hai’? Be it inside the Parliament or outside it, anyone can meet the PM,” Raut added, according to news agency ANI.

Sanjay Raut said the Shiv Sena too had requested Sharad Pawar to brief the PM about the situation in the state. “All MPs of Maharashtra, irrespective of their parties will meet the PM and tell him about the farmers’ situation. We will try to ensure that the centre gives them maximum possible help,” he said, according to ANI.

Maharashtra was placed under President’s rule on November 12 after the single largest party, the BJP, declined to form the government. The Sena and the NCP who were given a chance to demonstrate their numbers had told the Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari that they needed time to put the alliance in place.

Raut said the “picture” about government formation will become clear after a meeting on Thursday. The Sena with 64 MLAs (including Independents) with the support of NCP and Congress, which has 54 and 44 MLAs, respectively, is attempting to form the government.