MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena continued to play the cat-and-mouse game with the BJP over government formation even as it re-elected Eknath Shinde as the leader of its legislature party on Thursday.
Contrary to expectations that Sena hair apparent Aaditya Thackeray would be elected leader of the legislature party, party president Uddhav Thackeray indicated that he did not wish to burden his son with the responsibility immediately.
Aaditya proposed Shinde’s name, which was seconded by five Sena MLAs and unanimously accepted by others. Former Mumbai mayor Sunil Prabhu was elected chief whip at the meeting. Addressing party MLAs before Shinde’s and Prabhu’s election, Uddhav expressed regret over Fadnavis’s remarks that sharing of CM’s post was never discussed.
“I won’t talk with them till they have clarity on what was committed. If CM Fadnavis says he doesn’t know what was committed between Amit Shah and him, he should get clarity first,” Thackeray told his party MLAs, sources said.
In the backdrop of speculations that several Sena legislators may switch over to the BJP if their party delays government formation, Thackeray asked the MLAs whether they were in a hurry to form the government. He received a negative response and it was then decided that the party should push for commitments to be honoured first.