Maha govt impasse: Ministers Tawde, Bawankule meet Gadkari

Two Maharashtra ministers and BJP leaders who were denied tickets for the last month's Assembly polls on Friday met their senior party colleague and Union minister Nitin Gadkari here. Higher and Technical Education Minister Vinod Tawde and Power and Excise Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule met Gadkari at the latter's Worli residence here.

Maharashtra minister Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar, who is considered close to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, was also present when Tawde and Bawankule met Gadkari. However, what transpired during the meeting was not immediately known.

Tawde and Bawankule were denied tickets by the BJP for the October 21 assembly polls. The state is in the midst of an impasse on government formation with saffron allies BJP, with 105 seats, and Shiv Sena, with 56 seats, refusing to agree on sharing the chief ministerial post for 2.5 years each.

While the Sena wants the BJP to share chief ministership, the latter has rejected the demand, delaying government formation in the state even a fortnight after declaration of assembly poll results..