Ending its acrimonious split with BJP, Shiv Sena is all set to join the Maharashtra government today, with 10 of its 12 nominees, including five of cabinet rank, to be inducted into the ministry. With Sena now set to join the government, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis can breathe easy during the winter session of legislature, beginning in Nagpur on December 8.
The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Vidhan Bhawan premises at 4 pm, in which 10 minister of Shiv Sena and 10 ministers of BJP will be sworn in.
Earlier on Thursday, the coming together of the two saffron parties, which split before the Assembly elections and fought against each other, was announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who held parleys with Shiv Sena leaders in the last few days.
"It is the desire of the people of Maharashtra that BJP and Shiv Sena should be part of the government," Fadnavis had said addressing a joint press conference with senior Sena leaders on Thursday.
The induction of BJP's oldest saffron ally will give the government a clear majority of 184 in a House of 288. The BJP has 121 MLAs while the Shiv Sena 63. The NCP, which has 41 MLAs, had announced outside support to the state government, which was sworn in on October 31.
Just before the assembly elections, Shiv Sena and BJP had broke the 25-year-old alliance as both sides couldn't agree on seat arrangement. BJP subsequently emerged as the single largest party and formed a minority government with outside support given by NCP.
"We will form a coordination committee and will jointly contest zilla parishad and Municipal polls. We are two different parties and we have our own views on various issues," the chief minister had said.
Senior Sena leader Subhash Desai, who was present along with Fadnavis, had said "both the parties have decided to provide a strong government to Maharashtra."
A miffed Sena sat in the opposition and its leader Eknath Shinde was given Leader of Opposition status. But some in BJP were wary of NCP chief Sharad Pawar and were making attempts to rope in Sena.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}