BJP, Shiv Sena make no move; NCP’s Pawar play begins in Maharashtra

While the BJP expressed confidence that the allies would finally come together and form the next government by November 6, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar held a closed-door meeting with his party leaders in Mumbai to explore an alternate possibility of forming the government with Sena.

The stalemate between the saffron allies, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena, over a power-sharing pact to form the next government in Maharashtra continued on Saturday, even after 10 days of the Assembly polls results being announced.

NCP President Sharad Pawar interacts with farmers during his visit to a village in Nashik, Maharashtra, Friday, Nov. 1, 2019. (PTI)

While the BJP expressed confidence that the allies would finally come together and form the next government by November 6, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar held a closed-door meeting with his party leaders in Mumbai to explore an alternate possibility of forming the government with Sena.

Pawar, who was on a tour of villages affected by the unseasonal rain, cut short his visit; and according to insiders, told his leaders to talk to Sena and independent legislators. Pawar, who is scheduled to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday, is looking at the option of a NCP-Sena government with outside support from Congress, said a senior NCP leader, who did not wish to be named.

Congress leaders from Maharashtra had met Gandhi on Friday and suggested that the party support any move to keep BJP out of power, if Sena is willing to form government with NCP.

“State Congress leaders had met Pawarsaheb last week and urged him to take initiative for a non-BJP government in the state,” said the NCP leader. “Pawar had asked them to get a nod from their party leadership first. We have started talking to all non-BJP elements. However, an alternate government is possible if Uddhav Thackeray is willing to walk out of his alliance with BJP. We are looking at all possibilities.”

However, a senior BJP leader, on condition of anonymity, said an informal communication between the two sides is likely to resume after the weekend, when chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray return to Mumbai after touring villages affected by unseasonal rain in Vidarbha and Marathwada respectively.

“Sena has not responded to BJP since Tuesday [the day Fadnavis said BJP had never promised CM post to Sena]. They are trying to drive a hard bargain. We think backchannel talks between Fadnavis and Thackeray will resume in a day or two. We don’t think Sena chief will trust Pawar and opt for a minority government,” the leader said.

Earlier in the day, BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said the issues between BJP and Sena would be resolved through talks and the next saffron government will be sworn in next week. He ruled out a Sena-Congress government, pointing to the ideological chasm between the two parties.

“How can Congress and Sena form government together? They are ideologically opposed to each other. And, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has clarified that his party will sit in the Opposition. This mandate is for the saffron alliance and we will form government together, latest by November 6 or 7,” said Mungantiwar.

Sena, however, did not accept the olive branch offered by its ally. Sena MP and party mouthpiece, Saamana, editor Sanjay Raut reiterated that his party was in no mood to take back the demand for the chief minister’s post.

“We have now cut the ropes and can’t go back… It is not about bargaining for additional ministerial berths or Union cabinet portolios, etc. We are asking them to implement what was promised. If they deny that this was offered by them then it’s not going to be acceptable,” Raut told Marathi news channel ABP Majha on Saturday.

The Saamana editorial, too, slammed the BJP for allegedly threatening newly elected legislators with the President’s Rule, referring to Mungantiwar’s statement on Friday that if the saffron allies failed to form the government within a time frame, the President’s Rule would have to be imposed.

“The statement is an insult to the peoples mandate in the Assembly elections.” said the editorial.

Mungantiwar denied that his statement was a threat, pointing out that it was a straight response to a question asked by the media about what would happen in absence of a new government after November 8, when the tenure of the incumbent government ends.