Mumbai:
By taking a dig at the Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray comment that the Sena had rotted in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the last 25 years, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar sarcastically remarked that yet they (Sena) again contested the assembly elections in alliance with the BJP. Speaking to newspersons here, the NCP chief went on to add that the Sena-BJP have an alliance for the last 25 years, then they should form the next government.
Although the NCP chief categorically stated that the people had mandated them to sit in the opposition, he remarked “at present we (NCP) are in the opposition. In reality the Congress and NCP contested the assembly polls in alliance and hence we shall take all decisions together. He however, refuted reports appearing in a section of the media that he was keen on becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. “Not at all ready to be the CM”, quipped Pawar. He further added “there is only one option, which is that the BJP and Shiv Sena should form the government. There is no other option other than this to avoid President’s Rule. Today or tomorrow they will come together again”.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Hussain Dalwai tried to further complicate the matters for the BJP arguing that the BJP shall not come back to power, Speaking to newspersons after meeting Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, Dalwai stated that it has been decided between them that Presidents Rule will not be allowed to be imposed in Maharashtra. However, according to sources in the Congress, the party has imposed a condition, that the Sena should quit the BJP led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Despite the cold-shoulder given by the NCP chief, Raut met Pawar. After meeting the NCP chief, the Sena leader stated that the NCP chief looked worried at the political situation in Maharashtra. The Sena leader continued to maintain that there was no exchange of any proposal with the BJP and reiterated the Sena twin demands of sharing Chief Ministers post and portfolios. While an aide of Yuva Sena president Aditya Thackeray claimed that the Thackeray scion will take oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister soon.
However, by late Wednesday afternoon, things began to move between the BJP and Sena with senior Sena minister’s Eknath Shinde and Diwakar Raote calling on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at Sahyadri State Guest House. Sources disclosed that the Sena ministers attended the District Guardian Ministers meeting convened by the Chief Minister to take decisions on providing relief to farmers affected by unseasonal rains.
Speaking to newspersons later, senior BJP Minister for Finance Sudhir Mungantiwar remarked that the Mahayuti government will be formed soon and that the good news could come anytime soon. “You cannot separate water, no matter how much you try to. Shiv Sena and BJP are together, the good news can come anytime”, he added. When asked to comment upon the efforts to rescue a tiger stuck in slush near a river in Chandrapur, he sarcastically quipped that the government was well versed in rescuing the tiger.
