Mumbai: Maharashtra will have a chief minister from the Shiv Sena, senior party leader Sanjay Raut said on Friday amid a standoff with ally BJP over sharing the top post.
Talking to reporters here, he said there had been no talks yet between the BJP and the Sena on government formation.
The Maharashtra chief minister will be from the Shiv Sena, he asserted.
"No ultimatum to the BJP (on government formation). They are big people," the Rajya Sabha MP said.
If the Sena decides, it can get the required numbers to form a stable government in Maharashtra, he said.
People have given the mandate to form a government based on "50:50 formula" that was reached in front of the people of Maharashtra, Raut said.
Maharashtra may head for President's rule if the new government in the state is not in place by November 7, Finance Minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said on Friday.
"People of Maharashtra have given a mandate, not to any party but the Mahayuti (alliance comprising BJP, Shiv Sena and other parties)," he said.
Mungantiwar expressed confidence that the formation of a new government will take place soon.
He said the main hurdle in government formation was Sena's demand for chief minister's post for 2.5 years.
Asked if the BJP would accept the demand, Mungantiwar said, "We have already named Devendra Fadnavis."
Admitting that there was a deadlock, he said, "We at the state level will sit together to find a way to resolve the deadlock. If necessary, the central leadership of BJP will intervene."
The NCP will try to give an alternative if the BJP and the Shiv Sena fail to form government in Maharashtra, the opposition party's chief spokesperson, Nawab Malik, said on Friday.
Malik's comment came even as senior party leader Ajit Pawar has maintained the NCP will sit in the opposition along with the Congress.