New Delhi: The Shiv Sena has moved to opposition benches in the Rajya Sabha to be seated beside Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MPs even as NCP leader Sharad Pawar is all set to meet Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi over government formation in Maharashtra.
Sources said the 18 Sena MPs in the Lok Sabha and three in the Rajya Sabha have been allotted seats in the opposition rows.
The Shiv Sena MPs will also be seated behind Congress leaders in the Rajya Sabha. Pawar will now be seated beside Trinamool Congress’ Derek O’Brien in the upper house of Parliament, the source added.
“In addition to this, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal have been moved to the front row,” said a Rajya Sabha MP. “Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s seat has changed from the fifth to the third row.”
Also read: When enemy’s friend is your friend: Congress-NCP take a leaf out of BJP-Left book
Sawant loses front row seat
Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant, who resigned earlier this month from the union cabinet after his party decided to part ways with BJP over government formation in Maharashtra, has lost his front row seat in the Lok Sabha. He has now been moved to the third row.
Sena leaders, especially Sanjay Raut, have expressed confidence in forming the government with the NCP and the Congress. If Sena, NCP and the Congress come together, they will have a comfortable majority in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly. While the Sena had secured 56 seats, the NCP won 54 and the Congress 44 seats in the state assembly elections held last month.
Also read: Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress are walking into an Amit Shah trap in Maharashtra