Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said people should not be surprised if his party comes to power in New Delhi, ANI reported. His comments came a day after the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress staked claim to form government in Maharashtra following the resignation of former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The 288 newly elected legislators were administered oath of office earlier in the day.

“I have been saying this from the first day that we will form government,” Raut told reporters in Mumbai. “I have said that our suryayaan will land safely on the sixth floor of the mantralaya [secretariat]. But everyone was laughing at us...People shouldn’t be surprised if Sena’s suryayaan lands in Delhi.”

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Raut attacked former alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party for their “barbaric” attempts to retain power in the state, PTI reported. “This is because there is a dissent among the people of Maharashtra,” he added. “The beginning of change is taking place from Maharashtra...Maharashtra has shown a new dawn to the country.”

The swearing-in ceremony of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government will take place on Thursday at the Shivaji Park stadium.

The BJP won 105 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly elections last month. The Shiv Sena won 56 constituencies. Despite having enough to form a government together, the two parties bickered over power-sharing – the chief minister’s post and Cabinet portfolios – resulting in the Shiv Sena starting negotiations with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party.

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Hours after the three parties finalised an alliance last Friday, in a surprise development, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the chief minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar was appointed his deputy.

However, the two resigned after the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to ensure a floor test is conducted by 5 pm the following day. Ajit Pawar has now returned to the NCP fold.