NDA partners must get CM post if BJP wants support at Centre: Shiv Sena

Mumbai: Shiv Sena on Thursday said that allies should get the Chief Ministerial post in their respective states if a BJP-led NDA government is formed at the Centre after the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Party spokesperson Sanjay Raut, however, said there is no change in the stand of Shiv Sena on fighting the Lok Sabha polls alone and that talk of an alliance with BJP is only media speculation.

Raut told ANI, “If an NDA government is formed in 2019, Shiv Sena, Akali Dal, and other major allies will have a role. All the allies of NDA are strong in their states and if you (BJP) want to have an alliance with them at the Centre, the Chief Minister in that state should be from that ally.”

Asked if their condition for forging an alliance with BJP is mandatory, he said, “This is not a condition but this is our stand. We have already said that the next Chief Minister in Maharashtra will be from Shiv Sena and this has nothing to do with an alliance.”

“If in future, there are discussions on an alliance we will want the implementation of the 1995 formula as per which Shiv Sena will have the role of a big brother in Maharashtra whereas we will reciprocate similar support to BJP at the Centre,” he added.

On February 11, Shiv Sena, a disgruntled ally of BJP, had joined a day-long protest by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu against the Centre over the denial of special status to the state. Leaders from Opposition parties like Congress, Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, and National Conference had participated in the dharna here.

[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]