Will consider support if Sena comes with proposal: NCP | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
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Will consider support if Sena comes with proposal: NCP

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | ByFaisal Malik and Surendra Gangan, Mumbai
Nov 06, 2019 08:04 AM IST

The NCP had been tapping possibilities of such a government after the Sena reached out to the party last week.

The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday said it could consider forming a government with the Shiv Sena, if the latter comes up with such a proposal. This is the first time the NCP openly spoke of forging an alliance with the Shiv Sena to form a government.

NCP leader Nawab Malik (in white shirt) said there was no need to impose President’s Rule in Maharashtra and his party would consider extending support to Shiv Sena if they receive such a proposal.(HT File)
NCP leader Nawab Malik (in white shirt) said there was no need to impose President’s Rule in Maharashtra and his party would consider extending support to Shiv Sena if they receive such a proposal.(HT File)

“There is no need to impose President’s Rule in the state. If the Shiv Sena is ready and comes up with a proposal to form the government, we will extend our support and the state can get an alternative government,” said NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik. State party chief Jayant Patil also indicated his party would step in to look at options of forming the government, if the BJP-Sena fail to do so within the timeframe.

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The NCP had been tapping possibilities of such a government after the Sena reached out to the party last week. Last Thursday, senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut met Pawar, fuelling speculation that the both the parties are in talks over forming a non-BJP government. Pawar also had a chat with Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray from Raut’s phone and on Monday followed this up with a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.

“We can have a regional alliance with the Sena. They are fed up with the BJP as they know their ally is ensuring they don’t last in the long run. There have been talks between the NCP and Sena since last week. But we will have to wait for the Sena to formally leave the NDA before we can seriously pursue or discuss the course of action,” said a NCP functionary, who did not want to be named.

However, despite enthusiasm from certain quarters in the party over a chance to form the government, party’s top brass believes the best course of action may be to sit in the Opposition. Pawar also told the media post his meeting with Gandhi that mandate of the people was for the NCP to sit in the opposition. With Gandhi opining that Congress would not support the Sena-led government in Maharashtra even from outside, the chances of the NCP risking a minority government with the Sena look bleak. A top NCP leader said that with Gandhi refuting outside support, there would be no other meeting between these two leaders on the issue.

“While Gandhi was willing to support Pawar as the CM, she was not willing to support a Sena CM, even from outside, as she felt it will dilute the Congress’s stance and not give it any real dividends,” said a top NCP leader.

“The political ground is becoming favourable to us in the state. Riding on it, we can tap the opportunity two years later, if the saffron alliance fails to run the government smoothly,” a Congress leader said.

He said it was a win-win situation for both the Congress and NCP as they have succeeded in damaging the BJP to a great extent in the past two weeks.

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