‘BJP-Shiv Sena fought together while NCP-Congress fought together in the elections. They have to choose their path and we will do our politics’, said Pawar.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar. (File Photo: IANS)
With the fractured situation in Maharastra of the government formation getting worse, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Monday took a dramatic U-turn on the possible alliance with the Shiv Sena.
Pawar said to the media in Parliament, “BJP-Shiv Sena fought together while NCP-Congress fought together in the elections. They have to choose their path and we will do our politics.”
NCP chief also said that he will meet Sonia Gandhi at their residence. As per the sources, the duo likely to discuss the next course of action in Maharashtra which is under President’s rule since last Tuesday. There is a possibility of discussing the possible alliance with the ideologically opposite Shiv Sena.
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Party sources said that the Congress-NCP alliance is working with Shiv Sena on the common minimum programme for government formation. It further said that before saying yes to the alliance, the party wants the Shiv Sena to shed its hard Hindutva ideology and take a secular stand on several issues.
Sources also said that the NCP wants the Congress to be a part of the collation. Congress had on several occasions maintained its stand to give support from outside to the Shiv Sena-NCP government, if formed.
Contesting the election together, the pre-poll alliance of BJP and Shiv Sena won 105 and 56 seats respectively in the 288-seat assembly. While the Congress and NCP bagged 44 and 54 seats respectively.
A tussle broke out between the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance before the government formation as the Shiv Sena got rigid over the 50-50 sharing formula, which BJP denied. The alliance broke down and the BJP approached NCP for extending support and form the government.
Before the three parties could come to arithmetic for the government formation, the President’s rule was imposed in the state on November 5.
(With inputs from IANS)
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