Devendra Fadnavis has resigned as Maharashtra Chief Minister hours before the Maharashtra government formation deadline ends. Amid other political developments in the state, Shiv Sena MLAs are set to be taken to a hotel in Mumbai's Madh Island.
The war of words between the BJP and Shiv Sena escalated on Friday with neither parties showing any signs of backing down. The BJP should form government as the single largest party, said Sena MP Sanjay Raut, and take "not 15 days but one month" to prove its majority.
After the Shiv Sena, the Congress today sequestered its MLAs to Jaipur in Congress-ruled Rajasthan. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar claimed that "Rs. 25 crore to Rs. 50 crore" was being offered to MLAs to switch sides and quoted the Shiv Sena as claiming that its MLA was offered Rs. 50 crore.
The deadline for government formation is midnight on Friday and 15 days after the Maharashtra election results on October 24, the BJP-Sena feud remains unresolved. The Shiv Sena has refused to back down on its demand for a "50:50" partnership with the BJP, including rotational chief ministership.
But the BJP has also not budged from its stand that Devendra Fadnavis will be Chief Minister for a full term, with no time-share with the Shiv Sena.
The BJP yesterday met with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and said it had discussed the legal implications of the delay in government formation.