Sena-NCP-Cong combine has support of 165 MLAs: Raut

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 the 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, Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday returned as chief minister propped up by NCP's Ajit Pawar, who was made his deputy, just hours after the new alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress reached a consensus that Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will be their chief ministerial candidate.

Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn in by Governor Koshyari at a hush-hush ceremony here, leading to lifting of the President's rule in the state. Ajit Pawar's volte-face created fissures in the NCP, whose chief Sharad Pawar distanced himself from his nephew's dramatic action, saying the decision to back Fadnavis was his personal choice and not that of the party.

"If the BJP had majority, why was the swearing-in done in such secrecy?" Raut asked, and said the governor acted in a "biased manner", giving enough time to the BJP. "The Shiv Sena and NCP were given 24 hours and the BJP has been given time till November 30," he said.

Taking a dig at the BJP, Raut said, "I thought the BJP understands trade. The party thought Ajit Pawar can wean away 30 to 40 MLAs. But only five went. This must be Ajit Pawar's strength. If the trade was genuine, the BJP wouldn't be selling an adulterated product." Raut also said the BJP had harmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image.