Shiv Sena or NCP - who will form govt? The Maharashtra impasse continues

The Shiv Sena on Monday claimed that the NCP and Congress have agreed "in-principle" to support its government without the BJP in Maharashtra but failed to get letters of support from the political rivals before the deadline set by the Governor who rejected its plea for three more days to do so.

As the impasse in government formation entered the 18th day and a prospect of President's rule loomed, the Congress appeared not wanting to take a hasty decision to align with its ideological rival, and decided to hold further talks with its pre-poll ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on the issue of supporting the Sena.

Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Sunday night asked the Shiv Sena to "indicate the willingness and ability" of the party to stake claim, hours after its pre-poll partner and longtime ally BJP declined to form the government.

The Sena, the second largest party in the 288-member House with 56 MLAs after the BJP's 105 members, had time till 7.30 pm to stake claim on a day marked by hectic parleys with its chief Uddhav Thackeray meeting NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and having a telephonic conversation with Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The NCP has 54 MLAs while the Congress has 44.

As Uddhav Thackeray met Pawar at a uburban hotel in Mumbai and the Congress corralled its MLAs in a Jaipur resort, Arvind Sawant, the lone Sena minister in the Union council of ministers submitted his resignation.

Putting up a brave front, Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray told reporters outside Raj Bhavan in Mumbai that his party's claim on formation of a government still stands, as two parties have agreed "in-principle" to support the Sena-led government. He didn't take names of the Congress and the NCP.

Aaditya said Governor Koshyari refused to grant more time to the Sena to muster numbers.

"We have initiated talks with the two parties. Both the parties have expressed their support in-principle to the Sena," he said. adding, "We informed the Maharashtra governor about our willingness to stake a claim for government formation. Shiv Sena MLAs have already issued their support in writing," he said.

He said the two parties (read NCP and Congress) need few more days to complete their procedures. "Hence we sought time from the governor but he refused to grant it," he added.

A Raj Bhavan communique said a delegation of Shiv Sena leaders expressed their willingness to form the government. However, the communique said they could not submit the requisite letters of support.

Further, they submitted a letter requesting for three days of extension of the deadline for submitting the letters of support.

"The Governor expressed his inability to give any further extension," the communique said.

After two crucial meetings in Delhi, the top leaders of the Congress preferred to have detailed discussions with the NCP on the current political impasse.

"The Congress President has spoken to Sharad Pawarji. The party will have further discussions with the NCP," said a terse statement issued by party general secretary K C Venugopal said.

"The Congress Working Committee met this morning and held a detailed discussion on the situation in Maharashtra after which a consultation was held with Maharashtra Congress leaders," the statement said.

Amid a flurry of meetings in Mumbai and in New Delhi, Arvind Sawant signalled his party's exit from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and accused the BJP of reneging on its promise for equal division of seats and power and forcing the Uddhav Thackeray-led party to snap ties.

His resignation came after Pawar said the Shiv Sena will have to first snap ties with the NDA so his party can take a call on supporting the saffron outfit.

He alleged that the BJP was resorting to "lies" by denying the agreement reached between the leaders of the two allies before the assembly elections.

"I have resigned as Union minister. I have sent my resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Sawant said in the national capital, displaying his letter resigning as Union Heavy Industries minister.

The NCP has said it will decide on whether to support a Sena-led government in coordination with ally Congress.

Congress legislators held a meeting with senior party leaders on the issue in Jaipur on Sunday and asserted they did not want fresh elections in the state, party insiders said.

Since Congress MLAs are not keen on fresh elections and want to keep the BJP out of power, many favour extending outside support to the Sena, they said.

"We have always maintained distance from the right-wing party which is the Shiv Sena. Their internal differences(with BJP) have precipitated the situation in Maharashtra," senior Congress leader M M Pallam Raju said.

Governor invites NCP to form govt

Maharashtra Governor B.S. Koshyari late on Monday invited the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form the next government in the state, the partys national spokesperson Nawab Malik said.

"Our delegation has been invited by the Governor and the indication is that a letter of invitation will be given to us. Tomorrow we shall discuss with the Congress on the ways and means to form the next government," Malik told newpersons.

Earlier, senior NCP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar informed the media that he was called by the Governor at 8.30 p.m. and he was proceeding to the Raj Bhavan for a meeting along with half-a-dozen other leaders, but claimed that he had no knowledge as to why he was called.

Malik added that given the short 24-hour time limit, the Congress-NCP could not comply with all the requirements to enable the Shiv Sena finalise its claim for forming the government.

"The Governor requires letters with signatures, names, constituency names and the number of all the supporting legislators which was difficult to organise at such a short notice. The Sena sought additional time, but the Governor expressed his inability to grant the extension," Malik said.

"We will hold discussion with the Congress based on the letter the Governor will give us...we will take a final decision (on steps to be taken) tomorrow," Malik said.

With 54 MLAs, the NCP is the third largest party after the BJP (105) and the Shiv Sena (56).

The NCP's ally Congress has 44 winning candidates in the 288-member house where the majority mark is 145.