Sena govt bid falls flat; NCP turn now

Monday ended on a note of political uncertainty, just like each of the previous 18 days since the results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections were announced.

Monday ended on a note of political uncertainty, just like each of the previous 18 days since the results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections were announced.

HT Image

A day of fast-paced developments, with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray holding his first formal meeting with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and a phone discussion with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, to garner support for Sena’s claim to form the government, did not pan out well for the party.

Sena failed to get letters of support from their new-found allies and could not convince Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari of their ability to form the next government. Following this, Koshyari invited the third-largest party in the polls, NCP, with 54 legislators, to form the government.

If none of the above combinations succeed in showing numbers (a majority of 145 in the 288-member House) to form the government, there is likely to be President’s rule in the state.

“Sena leaders met the Governor and submitted a letter expressing their willingness to form the government, however, they could not submit the requisite letter of support from the alliance partners. The governor has therefore asked the leader of the elected members of the third-largest party, NCP, Ajit Pawar to convey its willingness and ability to form the government,’’ according to the communique from Raj Bhavan.

NCP state chief Jayant Patil, who met the Governor, along with Pawar and other senior state leaders, told mediapersons that they would initiate talks with their alliance partner, Congress, and get back to the Governor with their response to his invite. “We have been given until 8.30pm on Tuesday to respond to the Governor’s invitation. We plan to hold talks with the Congress before we finalise our stance,’’ said Patil.

Experts said with NCP getting a chance to stake claim, if it had intent, it could still form the government with Congress and Sena. So, the possibility of a three-party government is technically still open.

“The NCP can stake claim to form a government in a post-poll alliance with two parties and still give the CM post to Sena. Both these possibilities are acceptable to the Constitution,’’ said Professor Ulhas Bapat.

“We were waiting for the Congress to send a letter of support, but it did not happen. We have an opportunity on Tuesday to see what can be done. There will be a meeting of Congress leaders with us, following which we will also have discussions with Uddhav Thackeray,” said NCP leder Ajit Pawar.

While such an option is possible within the Constitution, it remains to be seen if it will be acceptable to Congress’s top brass, who are still not keen on extending support to a Sena-led government. If this does not happen, there are chances that Governor would recommend President’s rule in the state.

On Monday evening, a Sena delegation led by its group leader Eknath Shinde and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray met Koshyari in Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form the government. But, the party sought another 48 hours to get support letters from Congress and the NCP. Koshyari had invited the Sena on Sunday evening to form the government after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) refused to stake claim to power earlier in the day. Sena, with 56 legislators, is the second-largest party in the state after BJP, which won 105 seats.

Aaditya Thackeray said that his party is in talks with “two political parties” who have given an “in-principle” nod to come together with them. “We told the governor that we are willing to form the government; we have staked claim. In 23 hours, the Sena MLAs have given signed letters, but we need two days at least to discuss with the other two parties. We sought extension, but he has declined it. Our claim has not been denied, our request for an extension has been,” said Thackeray after their delegation’s meeting with Koshyari.

Senior Sena leader Subhash Desai later told HT that the Sena will continue to talk to the other political parties and form the government. “We can still gather our numbers and go to the Governor,” he said.

Earlier in the day, to cobble support from unlikely allies, Thackeray asked his lone minister in the Union cabinet, Arvind Sawant to resign from the central government, thus technically ending his party’s participation in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with Pawar at five-star Hotel Taj Land’s End in Bandra and sent two senior leaders, party secretary Milind Narvekar and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai, as emissaries to Delhi to hold talks with Congress’s leadership. Narvekar and Desai met Congress senior leader Ahmed Patel, who also facilitated a call between Thackeray and Gandhi.

“The discussion was mainly on the support from NCP, and if the Congress would extend support. Modalities of the support between the two parties were discussed primarily. The two [leaders] also discussed the quick formation of the government as key decisions, especially related to farmers, are pending,” said a senior party functionary, of the first formal meeting between Pawar and Thackeray.

The NCP through the day were at the YB Chavan Auditorium in Nariman Point, with party leaders saying they were waiting for Congress before they could send their letter of support to the Sena.

The main hitch in Sena staking a successful claim came from the Congress. Despite rounds of discussions in Delhi and Jaipur within the party, Congress, could not take any decision over supporting the Sena-led government.

The party’s top brass is divided on the issue with some strong opinions against supporting Sena, which was accused of involvement in the 1992-93 Mumbai communal riots, according to party insiders. State Congress leaders have suggested an issue-based support to a Sena-led government by working out a common minimum programme.

“The party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi spoke to NCP chief Sharad Pawar and discussed the power-sharing formula and common minimum programme. She was told that the talks between Sena and NCP were inconclusive and there was no clarity on many aspects between two parties,’’ said a senior Congress leader.

He added, “In such a scenario, Congress too does not have clarity over its role in the government and the stance to be taken over the issue. A meeting between Pawar and senior Congress leaders in Mumbai may help in taking the discussion forward.’’

Meanwhile, the BJP chose to wait and watch the political developments through the day. The party’s core committee of senior leaders met through the day at Varsha, caretaker chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s residence. “We are keeping a close watch on the political developments in Maharashtra. We will take our decision and make our stance clear at the right time. Until then, it’s wait and watch for us,’’ said BJP senior leader Sudhir Mungantiwar.