Sharad Pawar will not be the next CM, says Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut

Maharashtra's political scene is filled with tussles, even as the suspense of who will form the government looms. Senior Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said they are in touch with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday. This comes just a day after NCP chief Sharad Pawar met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met BJP president Amit Shah in New Delhi.

Sanjay Raut said the politics of Maharashtra is changing and the next chief minister will be from the Shiv Sena. "In our fight for justice, we will win," he said. The decision on Maharashtra's next chief minister, Raut said, will be taken in the state itself.

He stated that talking to NCP president Sharad Pawar is not a crime, since other parties are in touch with him, too. He "won't be next CM of Maharashtra," saying he is a big leader in Delhi, and there is no need to bring him to Maharashtra. He dismissed the rumours being false. "Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray wants a stable government in Maharashtra. That is why we met Governor and gave him details of what is happening in the state," he said, justifying the meetings held.

The BJP and Shiv Sena have been fighting over the chief minister's post, delaying government formation in the state. The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance has a combined seat strength of 161, way past the 145 majority mark in the 288-member house.

In the assembly polls, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44.