NCP leader Ajit Pawar addressing the press on Monday. (Express photo by Nirmal Harindran)
Hours after rejecting Shiv Sena’s demand to extend the deadline to form government in Maharashtra, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Monday called NCP to stake claim at the government. NCP leader Nawab Malik told ANI that the party will hold discussions with ally Congress and see how a stable govt can be provided to the state.
Follow latest developments in Maharashtra government formation here
Earlier, the Governor rejected the Shiv Sena’s request to extend the deadline to submit letters of support from the Congress and NCP to form the government. A statement from Raj Bhavan said, “A delegation of Shiv Sena leaders met the Governor and expressed willingness to form the government. However, they could not submit the requisite letters of support. Further, they submitted a letter requesting for three days of extension of the deadline for submitting the letters of support. The Governor expressed his inability to give any further extension.”
Devendra Fadnavis with Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray. (File)
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi Monday said his party would not support the Shiv Sena-Congress government in Maharashtra. "AIMIM has 2 MLAs in Maharashtra and we will not be supporting the Shiv Sena-Congress government. A letter to the same effect will be sent to the Governor of Maharashtra briefly," he tweeted.
Congress core group meeting to be held on Tuesday at interim party president Sonia Gandhi's residence, over Maharashtra's political situation. (ANI)
Maharashtra Governor: "Yesterday, Eknath Shinde was called upon to express his willingness and ability to form the government. Shiv Sena leaders met the Governor and submitted a letter expressing their willingness to form the government. However, they couldn't submit the requisite letter of support from alliance partners."
"The Governor has, therefore, asked the leader of elected members of the third largest party, Nationalist Congress Party, Ajit Pawar, to convey its willingness and ability to form the government to him." (ANI)
BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar Monday said, "The BJP core team meeting has concluded. The political situation in the state was discussed in the meeting. On its basis, BJP is taking the stand of 'wait and watch'."
NCP leader Nawab Malik on meeting with Governor: We have been called by the Governor, a delegation of our party is meeting him now. We've been called to form the govt. As per the letter given by the Governor we'll hold discussions with Congress and see how a stable govt can be provided to the state."
"We will get the letter today and make a final decision by tomorrow after holding discussions with our ally Congress," he added.
NCP has been given time till 8:30 pm Tuesday to prove majority in the state assembly.
Ajit Pawar, NCP: "At 8:30 pm the Governor called us and asked me to come to meet him. Along with Chhagan Bhujbal, Jayant Patil and others, I am going to meet him. We have no idea as to why did he call us. Governor is an important person so we are going to meet him." (ANI)
Maharashtra Governor: "Delegation of Shiv Sena met the Governor and expressed willingness to form govt. However, they couldn't submit requisite letter of support. They submitted letter requesting three-day extension for submitting letters of support. The Governor expressed inability to give further extension."
Manikrao Thackeray, Congress: Neither ours nor NCP's letter has gone to Governor yet. It has been decided that two leaders will be sent for discussions with Pawar sa'ab (Sharad Pawar), state leaders will also be there. The next step will be taken after the discussion. (ANI)
Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress: "We've already issued a press note and we've mentioned that we've already discussed with working committee members and our PCC leaders. Our AICC President has spoken to Sharad Pawar ji. Further discussion will take place in Mumbai tomorrow."
The Congress statement.
Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said that his party is willing to form a stable government in the state and is in touch with both NCP and Congress. "We had sought 48 hours extension but Governor rejected it. But, we have staked the claim for government formation and that is still there. The claim hasn't been rejected," said Aaditya.
Congress to hold further discussions with ally NCP on political situation in Maharashtra, party statement says.
Shiv Sena leaders, led by Aaditya Thackeray and Eknath Shinde, meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan on Monday.
Congress leader AK Antony leaves after the meeting, at party interim President Sonia Gandhi's residence, over the political situation in Maharashtra concludes.
Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray and other leaders of the party reach Raj Bhavan, in Mumbai.
Sanjay Raut, who was admitted to Lilavati hospital, will be discharged in a day or two. Dr Ajit menon, Cardiologist, said, "This is a planned admission for Sanjay Raut in hospital. He suffered chest pain 2-3 days back. We decided to admit him today. We will be observing him. He should be discharged in a day or two. He is stable."
Senior leaders Chandrakant Patil, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Ashish Shelar among others reach Varsha, the chief minister's residence in Mumbai. The BJP Core Committee meeting to begin soon.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi spoke on phone over government formation.
Senior Congress leader and its chairman of the screening committee for the Maharashtra elections, Jyotiraditya Scindia, on Monday said the neighbouring state must get a government soon to carry out people's works.
"It is important for the people of Maharashtra to have a government so as to carry out public works," Scindia said.
"I don't want to comment on this (Congress' role in government formation) as discussions are underway. The mandate was for the BJP-Shiv Sena but at the moment there is a strange situation," he added. (PTI)
Congress leaders AK Antony and Ahmed Patel arrive at 10 Janpath (Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi's residence). Party's Maharashtra leaders have been called to Delhi for further discussions over the political situation in Maharashtra, the meeting to be held shortly. (ANI)
Former prime minister and Janata Dal (Secular) chief H D Deve Gowda Monday said if Congress extends support to Shiv Sena to form government in Maharashtra, they should not disturb it for next five years, ANI reported. Incidentally, the JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka had fallen apart earlier this year after a few MLAs defected to join BJP.
"Balasaheb gave place to BJP in Maharashtra, Advani&Vajpayee went to Bala Saheb's residence and requested him for seats. BJP overrode that, that's why Uddhav Thackeray has taken a stand that he will teach them a lesson. Now, it's for Congress&NCP to put down BJP," he added.
As Shiv Sena nears the deadline to form government in Maharashtra, senior party leader Sanjay Raut was admitted to Lilavati Hospital on Monday. However, it was just a routine check-up, his brother Sunil Raut said, adding that he will stay admitted to the hospital today. The Governor has given the Sena time till 7:30 pm to prove their majority in the state Assembly.
Raut will be discharged tomorrow.
Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant, who resigned from the Modi Cabinet on Monday, praised Aaditya Thackeray, saying that he is a visionary leader. A section in Shiv Sena is pushing the candidature of Aaditya for the post of chief minister of Maharashtra.
Senior Congress leaders have left the resort in Jaipur, where newly-elected Maharashtra Congress legislators are staying, to attend the working committee meeting of the party in Delhi.
Shiv Sena leaders will hold a meeting at Raj Bhawan at 5 pm. Uddhav Thackeray is awaiting Congress' response.
Meanwhile, senior party leader and former union minister Pallam Raju said there was no question on compromising with principles that the party stands for. "There is no question of a compromise, we (Congress) act in a very very responsible manner and we do look to Sharad Pawar (NCP chief), who is a senior leader in Maharashtra, to also decide what should be the outcome," Raju told reporters in Bengaluru.
Sharad Pawar leaves from Taj Lands End after meeting Uddhav Thackeray on Monday. (Express photo/Prashant Nadkar)
A possible alliance between the Shiv Sena and the NCP is not that big a surprise. It must be recalled that Shiv Sena patriarch Balasaheb Thackeray had backed Pawar’s bid to become the Prime Minister when he was in the Congress. Honouring his friendship with Pawar, Thackeray had also ensured that the Sena-BJP alliance does not put a candidate against Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule when she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha for the first time. When Pranab Mukherjee was nominated by the Congress as the Presidential candidate, it was Pawar who had accompanied him to Thackeray’s residence, Matoshri, to successfully elicit the Shiv Sena’s support to his candidature. Click here to read more.
Sharad Pawar leaves after meeting Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai.
"It is the responsibility of us all to give an alternative given the plight of the people and farmers. We are expecting a decision from the Congress. If there is a consensus, we will proceed towards government formation," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said.
"BJP went back from their pre-election promises. It would not have been morally right for me to continue in the Centre, so I have resigned as Union minister," Arvind Sawant told reporters.
Addressing the media in the national capital, Arvind Sawant said, "On May 21st, I had taken oath as Cabinet minister in the Modi government. The elections in Maharashtra were held on the basis of an alliance with the BJP. Prior to the polls, the two parties had agreed for a '50-50' formula over the post of chief minister. However, BJP later changed their words. In such an atmosphere, it is not morally right for me to continue. This is why I submitted my resignation to PM Modi today."
Meeting between Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar is underway in Mumbai.
Sena leader Arvind Sawant, who resigned as Union minister from Modi Cabinet this morning, will address reporters at New Maharashtra Sadan Kasturba Gandhi Marg shortly.
Hoarding near Matoshree at Kala Nagar in Bandra. (Express photo/Prashant Nadkar)
Uddhav Thackeray has left Matoshree Tower to meet Sharad Pawar.
"The process of forming an alternate government in Maharashtra has begun. We were in talks with the Sena, the talks are still on," Nawab Malik said.
"Our minister is resigning from the Union government. You can see it in any light you want," Sanjay Raut told reporters.
"We are waiting for Congress to take a decision. We fought elections together and whatever will be decided, it will be decided together. Congress MLAs are in favour of supporting the Shiv Sena-led government, but Congress Working Committee is the supreme body to decide on their party line," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told reporters.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "We are waiting for Congress' decision. We will take a call accordingly."
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut outside Matoshree Tower in Mumbai. (Express photo/Prashant Nadkar)
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has submitted a letter signed by the party MLAs to interim president Sonia Gandhi. In the letter, the MLAs have extended their support to the Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. According to TV reports, the Maharashtra unit chief is scheduled to meet Gandhi at 4 pm today.
"The BJP was the single largest party, but it was given 72 hours, as per my information. Our numbers are less than the BJP, in such a situation we should have been given more time. However, the Sena will respect the governor's decision and we will inform him our stand by today evening," Sanjay Raut told reporters in Mumbai today.
"We (the Congress and NCP) contested the election together. Whatever the decision, we will have to take it together," Pawar told reporters ahead of the NCP's core committee meeting in Mumbai.
On Shiv Sena's decision to quit the NDA, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "Woh jaane bhai isme humko kya matlab hai (They know better, what I have to do with this)?"
Meanwhile, in the party's editorial mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena today praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for welcoming the Supreme Court verdict on Ayodhya. "He has very humbly welcomed the decision. Ayodhya verdict has been given by the Supreme Court of our country. We respect the decision, said Rahul Gandhi. This is considerateness. There should have been no problem for leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi in showing the same considerateness," the piece read.
Sena MP Sanjay Raut arrives at party chief Uddhav Thackeray's residence in Mumbai.
Bapat further said 20 years ago, then President K R Narayanan had set a precedent by inviting the largest group to form the government. “Narayanan had not invited the single largest party to form the government. Instead, he had asked a group of parties to prove majority in Parliament,” he said, adding that Narayanan gave weightage to stability of the government.
With Governor Koshyari asking the Shiv Sena, the second largest party in the Assembly, to “indicate willingness ability” to form the government, what Sena does next will decide if there will be an end to the prevailing uncertainty in the state. Constitutional expert Ulhas Bapat said with the largest party, the BJP with 105 MLAs, conveying its inability to form the government, the Governor was left with no other option than to approach the second largest party, which has 56 MLAs. “The Sena will have to submit a list containing the names and signatures of MLAs supporting it. But this is not mandatory… it is at the discretion of the Governor. The Sena can convey to the Governor that it has the numbers to prove majority on the floor of the House. The Governor can then install its chief minister and later ask it to prove majority,” Bapat added.
As Maharashtra's political crisis deepens, Devendra Fadnavis and Uddhav Thackeray countered each other's claim over sharing the post of Chief Minister. Here are the arguments and counters made by allies against each other.
BJP members are gung-ho, and even prepared for a mid-term election if the situation were to arise. The party believes any attempt by the Congress, NCP and Sena to corner BJP will work to their advantage, as would the possibility of their falling apart. Smaller allies RPI(A), Rashtriya Samaj Party, Shiv Sangram and Ryat Kranti, who had hoped to be part of the new government, and reap a share of positions in it, are not pleased that this may not materialise now.
Several BJP leaders pointed out that the Sena will soon realise its mistake. A senior BJP leader said, “The BJP will be more than pleased to see the Sena forming the government with Congress and NCP. This would put it in an awkward position every time an issue of Hindutva comes up. Moreover, the BJP will emerge as the sole party with a Hindutva agenda.”
NCP leader Ajit Pawar arrives for the meeting at YB Chavan Centre in Mumbai on Monday. (Express photo/Nirmal Harindran)
“Frankly speaking, we were keen on Mahayuti (grand alliance) forming the government. After all, BJP and Sena had been in alliance for last three decades. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took the initiative to form the government by making calls to Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. But it is evident that Sena had different plans in mind,” said senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar.
In the BJP's political calculus, Sena will be the net loser as it will be perceived as hankering after power to the extent of joining hands with Opposition parties in what is likely to be a fragile alliance. First, what explanation will the Sena give to the people after denying the mandate (given to the saffron alliance)? Second, what explanation will the Sena give to the people for breaking alliance with old Hindutva ally BJP over the CM’s post? — This is the refrain now across the BJP.
The BJP believes its decision not to form the government was the “smartest strategy” to take the moral high ground and show the Shiv Sena in poor light. Hours after caretaker Chief Minister Fadnavis met Governor Koshyari to say that he doesn’t have the numbers to stake a claim, BJP leaders said the move will send a positive message to the cadre as well as the voters. They also hoped that the spectacle of the single-largest party being forced to sit out of power by a pre-election alliance partner will generate sympathy and goodwill.
Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, KC Venugopal and Mallikarjun Kharge arrive for Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at Sonia Gandhi's residence.
On Sunday, Sharad Pawar was locked in discussions with senior party colleagues, including former minister Praful Patel, at his south Mumbai residence. Although he has maintained that the “Congress-NCP’s mandate is to sit in Opposition”, sources said the NCP chief is agreeable to partner with the Sena, and keen that the Congress formally joins the formation to make it more “stable”. Asked about the possibility of a Sena-NCP-Congress formation, Pawar said: “I haven’t received any formal proposal from the Shiv Sena or the Congress.” Sources said Pawar and Sonia Gandhi might have a discussion regarding strategy on Monday.
Continuing his attack on the BJP, Sanjay Raut said, "The BJP got 72 hours to stake claim, we have been given 24 hours. The Congress and NCP should bury differences to come up with common minimum programme in Maharashtra's interest. If BJP can join hands with PDP in J&K, why can't Sena do so with NCP and Congress."
The Congress high command, too, wants the Shiv Sena to walk out of the NDA before any meaningful talks can be held. Some AICC leaders, however, are not convinced about the idea of having any tie-up with the Sena. Sonia Gandhi, too, is said to be not in favour of any such arrangement. Other options being considered are providing outside support to an NCP-Sena government or abstaining from voting in the event of a confidence vote.
On Arvind Sawant's resignation from the Modi Cabinet, Sharad Pawar told reporters, "I haven't had a word with anyone regarding anyone’s resignation. We'll have a word with Congress today. Whatever decision is to be taken will be taken only after discussions with Congress."