Picture : Twitter / ANI
Just a day after the Shiv Sena in its editorial Saamana praised Sharad Pawar and termed him more powerful , the Maratha stalwart and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has now backed the Sena’s demand for 50: 50 formula.
He said there is nothing wrong with the demand as Uddhav Thackeray’s party has the experience of running the state government.
Pawar is being credited for stopping the BJP-Shiv Sena juggernaut from achieving its goal of 220 seats in Maharashtra. The BJP’s tally has come down from 122 in the 2014 polls to 105 seats, prompting Thackeray to remind party chief Amit Shah of his “50:50” promise.
“In the 1990s also, there was a 50-50 formula for Shiv Sena and the BJP. So they have past experience (in running the government). So Sena can insist, nothing wrong in that,” Pawar said in an interview with NDTV.
Shiv Sena’s Manohar Joshi was the Maharashtra chief minister from 1995-1999.
The Congress-NCP alliance has won 102 seats in Maharashtra despite Congress chief Sonia Gandhi not addressing a rally in the state. Pawar, however, defended his ally.
“Congress’s local leaders worked with the NCP. There was perfect coordination. Yes Mrs Gandhi didn’t come because of her health but Rahul Gandhi came. I am a local here so I had to take the initiative,” he said.
