Maharashtra political crisis: No decision on govt formation without consulting Congress, says NCP
Mumbai/IBNS: Keeping the Shiv Sena in guess work, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday clearly stated it will not take any decision on the government formation in Maharashtra without consulting the Congress which is yet to take a call on allying with the ideologically-different Sena, media reports said.
NCP leader Ajit Pawar said, "We are waiting for the decision of the Congress. We can't decide it alone."
The drama unfolded in the Governor's House on Monday night after Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray claimed he had the backing of the NCP and Congress but failed to furnish the letters of support.
Snubbing the Sena, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asked the third-largest party NCP to stake claim to form the government. The deadline set for the NCP is 8:30 pm on Tuesday.
Though the Congress was about to send a few leaders to Mumbai on Tuesday, some news reports claimed that the grand old party won't be sending its men to Maharashtra.
The political crisis started in Maharashtra on Oct 24 after the Sena, which has won 56 seats in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanded 50:50 power share in the government and rotational Chief Ministership. The BJP, which won 105 seats alone, had rejected the demands of the Sena.
On last Sunday, the BJP refused to form government and passed the buck to Shiv Sena and other small parties.
The Sena, which has also withdrawn itself from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) , was looking to cobble up the majority number of 145 by adding NCP's 54 and Congress' 44.
Meanwhile, the BJP is keeping a watch at the political developments from a distance.
(Image Credit: NCP Twitter)
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