If Maha govt destabilises, NCP will 'contribute' to it: Pawar

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar today said if a situation threatening stability of BJP-led Maharashtra government arises in near future his party will "contribute" to it.
His comments came in the backdrop of Sena leadership threatening to walk out of the Devendra Fadnavis government even as he said the estranged ally of the BJP will emerge as the single largest party after the BMC elections.
"If a situation threatening the stability of the state government arises tomorrow, NCP will be a contributing factor in it," Pawar said.
Referring to Thackeray's statement that BJP will continue to get Sena's support provided it waives off farmers' loans, he said he doubted whether Sena will act on its threat to pull the plug on government.

"BJP is responsible for the breaking of the alliance with Sena. Two years ago, I had predicted that the saffron alliance will face problems after the Mumbai civic polls. I stood by my comments till yesterday.
"Thackeray has said if the government waives off loans of farmers, Sena will support the government for the full term. Hence, I doubt if the party will withdraw support to the government," the former chief minister said.

Pawar said the saffron tie broke because "three Central BJP leaders" were not interested in the alliance.
He said the government will have to take a decision on loan waiver. According to Pawar, Shiv Sena has raised the issue of loan waiver as "it doesn't want to quit power."

The veteran leader, who has his finger on political pulse and known for stirring political discourse with his open-ended observations, said the BJP cannot replace Sena in Mumbai.
"BJP cannot take place of Sena which is number one party in Mumbai for the last 25 years. (Though) Sena will not achieve the majority mark, it will emerge as the single largest party in the 227-member civic body," he told a regional TV news channel.
BMC elections are slated for February 21 and counting of votes will take place on February 23.
Sena and BJP are locked in a keen contest to win BMC after Uddhav Thackeray last month announced to contest solo without any tie-up with the BJP or any other party.

After Thackeray announced his party's decision, NCP had said people are ready for mid-term polls.
Interestingly, a Sena spokesperson yesterday said people "unhappy" with the BJP rule are ready for early polls.
The NCP had announced its outside support to BJP when results of the 2014 Assembly elections indicated the saffron party was emerging as the single largest bloc, fuelling speculations about the proximity between BJP and NCP to keep Sena on a tight leash.
However, Pawar has tactically kept the stake-holders in power guessing about NCP's political moves should the Fadnavis government tumbles.