Maharashtra, Nov 12, TEN Network | In the rapidly changing political dynamics of Maharashtra, where the stalemate over government formation is in its 19th day, it is now the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) that has to shore up numbers by 8.30 pm Tuesday. An NCP meeting in this regard is underway as the Congress is yet dithering on a tie-up with ideologically disparate Sena.
Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari invited NCP Monday evening after rejecting the Shiv Sena‘s request for another 48 hours to fetch support from potential allies — NCP and Congress — to form the government. In hectic developments through yesterday, Sena’s lone minister in the Union Cabinet, Arvind Sawant, resigned, while Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Sonia Gandhi to seek the support of the Congress. Even as Sena snapped ties with NDA, Congress wasn’t on board till the Governor’s deadline for Sena ended.
Earlier, BJP, which emerged as the single-largest party with 105 seats post the October 24-Assembly elections verdict, did not stake claim after ally Sena denied support. Sena, with 56 seats in its kitty, was invited next by the Governor. The party has now adopted a wait and watch policy.
According to senior party sources, it would be difficult for the NCP even now to convince the Congress leadership to go along with the Shiv Sena in the given timeframe while indicating that the state could be headed towards President’s rule. Meanwhile, top Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal and Ahmed Patel, who were supposed to visit Mumbai on Tuesday, have cancelled their visit.(TIE)
