On next Maharashtra CM, Uddhav Thackeray says time to implement formula agreed with Amit Shah

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, he and BJP president Amit Shah had finalised a "formula" based on which the two parties had agreed to select the next chief minister of Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray said, "It is now time to remind everyone about the formula and implement it."

Uddhav Thackeray said this while addressing his first press conference after Maharashtra assembly election results were declared today. The results as of 4.40pm showed the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance was leading in 156 seats, while the Congress-NCP was leading in 108.

Maharashtra has a total of 288 seats and the halfway mark to form government is 144.

While speaking about the formula he and Amit Shah had worked about, Uddhav Thackeray said senior leaders of the Shiv Sena and BJP will sit together and discuss things. "If required, Amit bhai will also come," he said.

While Uddhav Thackeray did not disclose details of the "formula" agreed between him and Amit Shah, there are reports that the agreement was either to have a rotational arrangement where the BJP and Shiv Sena will get the CM's post for 2.5 years each. Besides this, there is also the talk of a "50-50 formula" under which both the parties will have equal number of ministers in the Maharashtra government.

In the last assembly election, the BJP and Shiv Sena contested the polls separately and won 122 and 63 seats respectively. They formed a post-poll alliance to form government.

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