Uddhav will be our CM, says Pawar after Cong-NCP-Sena meet

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party on Friday evening held a meeting to seal a deal on their alliance for forming a government in Maharashtra.

Around midnight Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, his MLA-son Aaditya held an hour-long meet with NCP president Sharad Pawar at latter's residence 'Silver Oak' in South Mumbai.

According to sources, NCP chief has urged Uddhav Thackeray to take the chief minister's post, NDTV reported. The Sena chief, however, said he would take a decision on the offer after consulting his MLA's.

Meanwhile, a voter from the western state's Dindoshi constituency has filed a petition in Supreme Court to restrain the post-poll alliance between the Sena, Congress and NCP to run the Maharashtra government.

The voter, SI Singh argued that these three parties entering into a post-poll alliance was against the mandate of people.

The talks of a pact escalated after Congress president Sonia Gandhi gave nod to stitch an alliance with the ideologically different Sena.

Earlier, Sena's chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut's name too emerged for the CM's post. denying the talks, he said: "This is incorrect. People of Maharashtra want Uddhav Thackeray as the Chief Minister."

Other than Raut, Sena leaders Eknath Shinde and Arvind Sawant's names too did rounds.

Hours after the names of other Sena leaders emerged as frontrunners for the post of the chief minister, Chhagan Bhujbal said: Congress-NCP is of the view that Uddhav Thackeray should be the chief minister. Not sure if we will support any other name for the post''.

According to sources within the party, Thackeray was not keen on holding the post, hence other names were suggested.

"As party president, Thackeray would like to sit out and hold direct discussions with Sharad Pawar and Sonia Gandhi, instead of becoming the CM and then reporting to them," the source told News 18. He further added that Eknath Shinde has refused to take up the responsibility.

The pre-poll alliance -- Shiv Sena and BJP won a clear mandate to form the govt, but Sena fell out with all-weather ally BJP, as they failed to agree to a power-sharing deal to form a government in the state.

On October 24, the declared result of Maharashtra Assembly polls announced BJP as the single-largest party, with 105 seats. In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, while Sena secured 56, Congress and NCP won 44 and 54 seats respectively.

Last week, President's rule was imposed on the recommendation of the Governor BS Koshiyari after not a single party was able to prove numbers for government formation.