Raut to meet Maharashtra Guv as standoff on govt formation continues

MUMBAI : Amid the ongoing tussle over
government formation in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay
Raut said his scheduled meeting with Governor Bhagat Singh
Koshyari on Monday evening will be a “courtesy call” with no
political motive.

Raut said the governor was like the state’s guardian
and therefore, he would meet him to talk on various issues.

“It will be a courtesy meet and not political. I am
going to talk to the governor on various issues. We will also
inform him about our stand,” he told reporters here without
elaborating.

The meeting is slated to take place a day after the
Rajya Sabha member claimed his party would soon have its chief
minister with the support of “170 MLAs”.

With the deadlock over formation of government
continuing in the state, Raut also said on Sunday that talks
with the BJP will take place only on the issue of the chief
minister’s post.

However, Chief Minister Fadnavis told reporters in
Akola on Sunday that the new government will be formed soon.

Amid the impasse, the Sena also appeared to have
reached out to the NCP as its senior leader and former deputy
chief minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday disclosed to reporters a
message sent to him by Raut.

The message read: “Namaskar mi Sanjay Raut. Jai
Maharashtra”.

Reacting to it, Pawar said, “This means I should call
him. I will call and check.”

With the government formation in Maharashtra in a
limbo, NCP chief Sharad Pawar is scheduled to meet Congress
president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Monday.

Chief Minister Fadnavis is also scheduled to meet BJP
president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national
capital on Monday.

In the recent polls to 288-member state Assembly, the
BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena-56, NCP-54 and Congress-44. (agencies)