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Sena-BJP meet empowers Vajpayee and Thackeray to chose the new leader

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray have been entrusted with the responsibility of choosing the new joint legislature party leader in Maharashtra.

This was decided at a meeting of the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance held at the Sena Bhavan in north-central Bombay and a resolution to this effect was passed unanimously by the newly-elected members and senior party leaders.

Thackeray, however, was not present at the meeting which lasted for about two hours.

Emerging out of the meeting, Chief Minister Narayan Rane told reporters that Vajpayee and Thackeray would hold discussions and select the joint legislature party leader within a couple of days.

The Sena-BJP alliance, after the new leader is elected, would meet Governor Dr P C Alexander and stake its claim for forming the next government in the state.

In another resolution passed at the meeting, the alliance leaders thanked the people of the state for supporting to the two parties in the recently-concluded elections.

Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde when asked who would be the chief minister if the Sena-BJP alliance forms the government, said the decision has been left to Vajpayee and Thackeray.

Rane expressed the confidence that the alliance would get the support of 145 legislators, the required number to form the government.

When asked about the rumours that the alliance could join hands with the Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar, he said it was for the top leaders to decide.

UNI

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