In 50-minute meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar says didn’t discuss Maharashtra govt formation

Pawar told reporters that he had only briefed Gandhi about the political situation in Maharashtra and there was no discussion on government formation in the state.

“There was no talk of government formation in our meeting. This meeting was all about discussing Congress and NCP and the situation in the state,” Pawar said.

“We will keep an eye on the situation in Maharashtra. Congress and NCP leaders will hold further talks on the future course of action,” he added.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said representatives from both the parties would be meeting in a day or two.

“Sharad Pawar met the Congress President today and briefed her on the situation in Maharashtra. It was decided that in a day or two, representatives from NCP and Congress will meet in Delhi to discuss the way forward,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said in a tweet.

Congress and NCP leaders have held a series of meetings in the last few days to finalise the modalities for a Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra.

Ahead of his meeting with Gandhi, Pawar said all political parties seeking to stake claim to form the government in Maharashtra had to “choose their own paths”.

Maharashtra was placed under the President’s rule on November 12 after no party or alliance staked claim to form government in the state.

Pawar’s meeting with the Congress chief comes a day after the NCP’s core committee held a meeting in Pune and resolved that the President’s rule should end and an “alternative government” be formed in Maharashtra.

In the October 21 Maharashtra polls, the BJP-Sena saffron alliance had secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats respectively in the 288-member Assembly. The Congress and the NCP, pre-poll allies, had won 44 and 54 seats respectively.

with PTI inputs