Sena-NCP-Cong combine has support of 165 MLAs, says Raut

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed the Sena-NCP-Congress combine has the support of 165 MLAs to prove majority in the Maharashtra Assembly, and said the BJP's "gamble" of breaking Ajit Pawar from the NCP will backfire.

Addressing reporters here, Raut alleged that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari allowed the new government (headed by BJP's Devendra Fadnavis) to be formed on the basis of "bogus" documents shown by Ajit Pawar. He also said the deadline of November 30 given to the government to prove majority is only to enable defections. "The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress (together) have 165 MLAs. If the governor calls for an identification parade, in 10 minutes we can prove our majority," Raut said.

He said Ajit Pawar made the "biggest mistake of his life" by betraying Sharad Pawar, a people's leader. "Breaking Ajit Pawar from the NCP is the last gamble of the BJP which will backfire," the Rajya Sabha member said.

Ajit Pawar "misled" his party MLAs, he alleged, adding that and most of them had returned to the NCP fold.

Raut also said that November 23 was a "black Saturday" in the history of Maharashtra. The BJP has no right to call the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi as 'black day', he said. In a dramatic turn of events, Fadnavis on Saturday returned as chief minister propped up by NCP's Ajit Pawar, who was made his deputy.