Shiv Sena left with no option, has to form govt with BJP: Ramdas Athawale
New Delhi: Shiv Sena has no option but to join hands with BJP to form government in Maharashtra under Devendra Fadnavis' leadership, their ally and RPI(A) chief Ramdas Athawale said on Wednesday, soon after Sharad Pawar asserted that his NCP will work as a "responsible opposition".
The BJP and the Shiv Sena are locked in a tussle over the chief minister's post, resulting in a stalemate in government formation in the state.
Pawar's remarks came this morning after a meeting with senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who has met the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief earlier too.
"There is no option left with the Shiv Sena now than to form government with the BJP under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis," the Republican Party of India (Athawale) leader said.
The impasse remains despite results of the October 24 assembly polls giving the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance a combined seat strength of 161, way past the 145 majority mark in the 288-member House.
The people of Maharashtra have given the mandate to the BJP and the Shiv Sena to form government in alliance, Athawale said, wondering how the Sena can form government with 56 legislators.
"If the Shiv Sena does not come with us then Fadnavis should move forward and stake claim to form government in the state," he told reporters here.
The NCP chief, after his meeting with Raut, asked the BJP and the Shiv Sena to form government in Maharashtra soon, and said his party will work as a "responsible opposition".
On Tuesday, Athawale had said the Sena should not be "adamant" on its demand for the chief minister's post as it rightly belongs to the BJP.
He said he is hopeful that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari would be able to resolve the situation as he enjoys respect across party lines.
The bone of contention is the Sena's demand for the post of chief minister on rotational basis with the BJP and a "50:50 formula" for allocating ministries.
The BJP won 105 seats in the polls followed by ally Sena (56), the NCP (54) and the Congress (44) in Maharsahtra. Athawale had claimed that the BJP is ready for 50:50 allocation of cabinet portfolios and also to give some important ministries to Sena.
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Ayush signs off with silver at Badminton Asia Championships
Ningbo (China) (PTI): India's Ayush Shetty signed off with a silver medal after his giant-killing run ended in a straight-game loss to world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships here on Sunday.
The 20-year-old from Mangalore struggled to find his rhythm, going down 8-21, 10-21 to the reigning world champion from China, as India's 61-year wait for a men's singles gold at the event continued.
Despite the loss, it was a creditable campaign from the unseeded youngster, who became only the second Indian men's singles player after Dinesh Khanna to reach the final of the continental showpiece.
Khanna remains the only Indian singles champion at the event, having won the title in 1965. Since then, only the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have lifted the trophy, winning it in 2023.
World No. 25 Ayush entered the contest on the back of defeats to Shi at the Malaysia Super 1000 earlier this year and the Indonesia Masters last season. However, he had played with far greater control and attacking clarity this week, toppling world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, world No. 4 Jonatan Christie and world No. 7 Li Shi Feng en route to the final.
However, the Indian, a product of the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru, failed to counter the tactical discipline of Shi, who used his repertoire of strokes and deception to deny Ayush the opportunity to play his natural attacking game.
Shi dictated the geometry of the court from the outset, controlling the net exchanges and forcing Ayush into the forecourt battle early. The variation in the Chinese player’s game blunted the Indian’s attack, as his smashes lacked precision and he succumbed to scoreboard pressure, leading to rushed shot-making.
Shi Yu Qi logged the opening points with two fine net dribbles to race to a 4-0 lead, as Ayush’s smashes lacked precision early on and he trailed 2-6. A long rally ended with the Chinese player going wide, offering the Indian some respite. A deceptive net shot helped Shi move to 7-4, and he extended the lead to 11-6 as Ayush struggled for control, committing a string of unforced errors.
Shi mixed it up effectively, producing a lovely drop shot and repeatedly drawing the Indian to the forecourt with cross returns like a metronome, forcing errors. Two down-the-line smashes gave Shi a massive cushion of game points, and he sealed the opening game when Ayush sprayed a return wide.
The Indian needed a complete reset to stay alive, and he responded with a thunderous straight smash before diving on both flanks to keep the shuttle in play and move to 3-1 in the second game. Shi continued to test Ayush with backhand deceptive net strokes and pushes to the deep, but the Indian managed to retrieve everything and even found his precision in time, with an on-the-line smash confirmed by Hawk-Eye and a well-constructed rally taking him to 7-2.
However, he couldn't hold on to the momentum as the Chinese clawed back to 7-7 after two long shots and a smash into the net from Ayush. A return that kissed the backline from Shi, followed by another error from Ayush at the net and a return into the net, handed the Chinese the advantage once again at the interval, as he led 11-8.
Shi’s ability to place the shuttle into empty spaces with his repertoire of strokes, often punctuated by a fierce smash, made life difficult for the Indian as he stretched the lead to 13-8. Soon, the Chinese was up 15-9 with another powerful smash.
A body return followed by a straight smash took him to 17-9, and another long shot from Ayush further dented his chances. A perfectly angled smash into the forehand corner brought Shi within two points of victory. He then unleashed a cross-court smash to earn 10 match points and sealed the contest with a return that cramped the Indian, targeting his hip.
