Sena plays hardball with BJP: No Shiv Sena minister at Centre without 'adjustment' in Maha

Shiv Sena on Saturday decided to send nominated Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai for a cabinet berth in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s union cabinet but with a stern rider. The party  has made it clear that unless the BJP spells out the Sena’s role in the Maharashtra government, Desai will not take oath on Sunday afternoon. Sources in the Sena told Firstpost that the party wants  BJP to expand the state cabinet and include at least two ministers from the Sena before the trust vote on November 12. The party wants a 2:1 one power sharing formula in the state under which the Sena will get around 10 ministers. Among these 10, at least five should be cabinet berths. Meanwhile, Desai left for Delhi on Saturday evening. “We have sent Anil Desai’s name to Delhi from Sena so he can be included in the Modi Cabinet tomorrow. We are expecting a response from BJP on power sharing in Maharashtra. If that doesn’t happen, then Desai will not take oath on Sunday,” Neelam Gorhe, Sena spokesperson told  Firstpost. In order to resolve state power sharing deadlock,  Sena union minister Anant Geete met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday. While the details of the meeting were not available, Geete has bluntly told the BJP central leadership about the part’s stand, sources added. [caption id=“attachment_1789699” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Ibnlive[/caption] “Initially, Uddhavji was not in favor of recommending any names to be included in the Modi Cabinet unless talks at the state level reach a conclusion. But now since the talks are finally in a conclusive mode, we have changed our stand,” a Sena MP said requesting anonymity. While the Sena has been demanding the deputy chief minister’s post and at least 10 ministries, the BJP is willing to part with only eight ministries and is not willing to allot the deputy CM’s post. BJP has also rejected the second Sena formula that gave the latter 12 ministries in the absence of the deputy CM’s post. But Sena leaders reiterated that their inclusion in the union cabinet must not be misconstrued as an indication of it being ready to relent  to BJP in Maharashtra. BJP leaders maintained that the state cabinet could not be expanded to accommodate the Sena before the trust vote on November 12. Gorhe said that Sena president Uddhav Thackeray would announce the party’s decision on Sunday, at a conclave of 63 newly-elected party legislators in Mumbai. “We will elect the party’s leader in the legislative assembly. Uddhavji will announce the right decision in the meeting,” she said. Meanwhile, in a bid to build pressure on the BJP, some Sena MLAs met senior NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday. However, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, denied that the NCP was planning any move against the BJP by partnering with the Sena.