Maharashtra Govt Formation Latest News and Updates: Shiv Sena won't attend NDA Parliament meet today; Pawar postpones meet with Sonia, to hold NCP meet in Pune

Maharashtra Govt Formation Latest News and Updates: Shiv Sena has decided to skip the National Democratic Alliance meeting on the eve of the Winter Session of Parliament. Parliament is set to assemble for the Winter Session beginning on Monday, 18 November (tomorrow). Senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut also said that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party walking out of the BJP-headed National Democratic Alliance (NDA) remains a formality now. "I have learnt that the meeting (of NDA constituents) is being held on 17 November. We had already decided against attending the meeting considering the developments in Maharashtra...our minister resigning from the Central government," Raut told PTI.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, seating arrangement of Shiv Sena MPs in both the Houses of Parliament have been changed. They will now sit in the fifth row on the Opposition side, News18 reported.

Shiv Sena splitting from NDA? Sanjay Raut says, yes, only formal announcement remains

Asked if only a formal announcement of the Sena walking out of the NDA remains to be made, Raut was quoted as saying, "You can say that. There is no problem with saying that." He also said, "We want Uddhav-ji to lead the government in Maharashtra".

Related Articles

Explained: Why Norway is warning people to stay away from ‘spy’ whale Hvaldimir

Weird Science: How researchers generated electricity out of thin air

In a sharp jibe at its estranged ally-turned-foe, the BJP, Raut said the NDA was not somebody's property. "The Shiv Sena and the Akali Dal were equally important founders of the alliance," he added. "There is a big difference between the NDA of the old and this NDA. Advaniji, who was one of the founders, is now inactive. There is no system in the NDA. Who is the convener for today's NDA? Who is the new Boss of NDA? Please tell me? I don’t know who it is. We are sure that new government in Maharashtra will be run by a Shiv Sena chief minister. There is no doubt about that. We have our Common Minimum Programme."

The Sena, NCP and Congress have reached a consensus on a Common Minimum Programme (CMP), the basis of their proposed coalition government, and there was no need to discuss it in Delhi, Sanjay Raut said. Getty Images

The Sena, NCP and Congress have reached a consensus on a Common Minimum Programme (CMP), the basis of their proposed coalition government, and there was no need to discuss it in Delhi, Raut said.

The Shiv Sena, a long-standing constituent of the NDA, fell out with the BJP over sharing the chief ministerial post, a few days after the results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections were announced on 24 October. The echo of the worsening relationship between the two parties reverberated at the national level too, with the Sena's lone minister in the Modi government, Arvind Sawant, resigning on 11 November.

The Rajya Sabha MP exuded confidence that the Sena will install its mayors in the Mumbai and Thane civic bodies in upcoming Mayoral elections. "It won't be surprising if the Sena installs its mayor in some other civic body too," he added.

NCP-Congress meeting

NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Sonia Gandhi's scheduled meeting today (Sunday) to discuss a possible alliance with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra may not take place, sources told PTI. Pawar has convened a meeting of the NCP's core committee in Pune on Sunday, which makes it difficult for him to reach Delhi in time, party sources were quoted as saying on Saturday.

Earlier, sources in both the parties had said that Pawar and Gandhi may meet on Sunday. "The core committee meeting will begin in Pune at 4 pm. After that Pawar will head to Delhi on Sunday evening. So the meeting with Sonia Gandhi seems unlikely," sources said.

The core committee may discuss portfolio allocation in the possible coalition government of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena, sources said. Pawar is expected to meet senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Monday or Tuesday to discuss government formation, they added. "A meeting with Sonia Gandhi may happen later," they said.

Sharad Pawar has convened a meeting of the NCP's core committee in Pune on Sunday, which makes it difficult for him to reach Delhi in time. Getty Images

"Pawar and other NCP leaders will be meeting Congress leaders on Tuesday. In that meeting, the Congress will decide whether it will be part of the government or will support from outside," NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said late in the evening. "Once that decision is made, further process for government formation will follow," he told reporters.

Governor postpones meeting with Shiv Sena-NCP

The scheduled meeting between leaders of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress and Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to discuss the agrarian crisis was postponed on Saturday. Shiv Sena legislative party leader Eknath Shinde said the meeting was deferred as key leaders of all the three parties and MLAs were busy in their constituencies in view of the "wet drought" and for submitting details of their poll expenditure to the Election Commission.

Koshyari on Saturday announced financial relief to farmers whose crop was damaged in unseasonal rains, and ordered its immediate disbursal. The relief entails Rs 8,000 per hectare up to two hectares for agricultural Kharif crops and Rs 18,000 per hectare up to two hectares for horticulture/perennial crops, an official statement said.

The governor also exempted wards of the affected agriculturists from paying the educational fees, it said. The governor reviewed crop losses caused by untimely rains in various parts of the state during the months of October and November, the statement said. "The Governor has also announced exemptions of land revenue to the affected area and examination fee of school and colleges to the wards of affected farmers," it said.

Raut also said that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party walking out of the BJP-headed NDA remains a formality now. Getty Images

The governor also directed the state administration to disburse the relief immediately, it added. The then chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis, had on 2 November approved Rs 10,000 crore as a special assistance for affected farmers.

The NCP and the Congress had termed the assistance "meagre" and demanded it be raised to at least Rs 25,000 crore. Unseasonal rains and delayed retreat of monsoon had damaged Kharif crops of farmers in many districts, with Marathwada and North Maharashtra regions bearing the brunt. Meanwhile, Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Saturday said the assistance announced by the governor was "inadequate".

"However, the administration should deposit this assistance in the accounts of farmers immediately. Additional relief will be declared when a government, of which Congress will be a part, is formed," Chavan said in a statement. Another former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan claimed that 92 lakh farmers were affected, as the withdrawing monsoon damaged crop on 88-lakh hectares.

"The help is too inadequate. An aid of Rs 25,000 per hectare should be given as demanded earlier by Opposition parties. We expect the governor will try to get as much help as possible," Chavan said. NCP leader Dhananjay Munde said the affected farmers need a substantial financial aid that is commensurate with the extent of the damage caused to their crops. Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale also demanded more assistance for farmers.

The Sena leader said he had demanded that the Central government offer a substantial assistance to the affected farmers.

With inputs from agencies