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Arvind Sawant-the lone ShivSena minister in Modi cabinet to resign

Arvind Sawant resigning from the Modi cabinet clearly indicates that ShivSena has agreed to the demand of the NCP to break away from NDA.

Mumbai: On Monday the lone ShivSena member in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, Arvind Sawant, said he will resign as a union minister, paving the way for his party to seek the support of Sharad PawarтАЩs NCP and the Congress and form the government in Maharashtra.

The ShivSenaтАЩs exit from the BJP-led NDA at the Centre was a key condition put forward by the NCP on Sunday to lend support to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party for government formation after the BJP refused to stake claim to power.

Arvind Sawant the heavy industries minister, reiterated SenaтАЩs stand that a 50-50 deal for the chief ministership had been agreed with the BJP before the Lok Sabha election, and he added that as per parties order will not stay in Delhi in such a тАЬfalse environmentтАЭ, which is why he has resigned.

The ShivSena is 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, even as the NCP and the Congress weigh their options on whether to support the party.

While the NCPтАЩs condition of Sena walking out of the NDA has been met, Congress will decide its stand at a meeting with its lawmakers and senior party leaders in Jaipur.

Earlier the sources said that Sonia Gandhi was hesitant in supporting the Sena since it would go against the partyтАЩs secular ethos, a large majority of the partyтАЩs 44 MLAs have been pressuring the high command to keep the BJP out of power.

Currently, the role of the Congress 44 MLAs and the NCP 54 MLAs total makes 98 members is crucial for the Sena to form the government with its 56 MLAs.

If the Sena decides to form a government with the support of NCP and Congress, the collective strength of all the three parties will go up to 154 in the House, nine clear of the halfway mark of 145.

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