BJP likely to form government in Maha with Eknath Shinde’s breakaway team

MUMBAI: Breakaway Shiv Sena leader from the Thane region Eknath Shinde along with some 30-odd Shiv Sena MLAs and other Independents left for Assam in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Two senior Shiv Sena leaders and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s close aides Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak met Shinde and other MLAs at the Le Meridian hotel at Surat where they were staying, but nothing seems to have come of the meeting and the Shinde camp was adamant on its demands.

Shinde also spoke to Uddhav Thackeray on phone and insisted that the Shiv Sena break off with the NCP and the Congress and team up with the BJP to form the government in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, with the breakaway group of nearly 35 to 38 MLAs in all, including the Independents, not being available in Maharashtra, the BJP is likely to demand a floor test as the MVA government is now in minority.

Either Shinde may float a new political party and support the BJP to form the government in Maharashtra or the entire group may join the BJP.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil claimed that “technically” the state government is in “minority” as Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena MLAs have gone.

He said that the BJP was presently in a “wait and watch” mode and added that there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Shinde.

“BJP got support from independents and small political parties for Rajya Sabha and MLC elections. As per our information, Eknath Shinde and 35 MLAs have gone. This means technically state government is in minority but practically it will take some time for the government to be in minority,” he said.

“It’s too early to say anything, we are currently waiting and keeping an eye on the situation. So far, there has not been any proposal regarding government formation neither from the BJP nor from Eknath Shinde but anything can happen in politics at any time,” the BJP leader added.

It is a matter of days, before the MVA government in Maharashtra will have to face the floor test which it is likely to lose as it does not have the required numbers. Watch this space for the latest updates….