Shiv Sena's Arvind Sawant, who is the union minister for heavy industries, resigned from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet. His resignation has now been accepted by President Ram Nath Kovind.
Mumbai: The lone minister from the Shiv Sena in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet tended his resignation on November 11 and has now been accepted.
The development comes as the BJP declined to form government in Maharashtra on Sunday. While the Sena has been making efforts to reach out to the NCP and the Congress, Sharad Pawar-led party said the Sena will have to walk out of the NDA first.
NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik told reporters on Sunday that the Sena needs to first exit from the NDA as it has one cabinet post (in the Narendra Modi government).
"Unless it leaves the NDA, we will wait and watch the developments," he said.
Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday night asked the Shiv Sena to "indicate the willingness and ability" of the party to stake claim, mounting suspense over formation of government in the state.
The Sena, the second-largest party in the 288-member House with 56 MLAs after the BJP (105), has time till 7:30 pm on November 11, to stake the claim.
The party claimed on Monday that the NCP and the Congress had agreed "in-principle" to back its administration without the BJP, but it failed to get letters of support before the deadline.
Now the governor has asked the NCP to express "willingness and ability" to form a government.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.