Congress to give outside support to Shiv Sena-NCP govt in Maharashtra

In a sensational political development amid the stalemate in Maharashtra over government formation, sources said that Congress party will give outer support to Shiv Sena. Sources said that the letter has been framed and an official announcement from the party is expected at 6:30 PM. This comes after Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari invited Uddhav Thackaray-led Shiv Sena to form the next Maharashtra government. As per sources, Anil Parab of Sena received the letter of support from the Congress party after Sena chief spoke to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi. 

After the election result in the state, the Mahayuti alliance partners- BJP and Shiv Sena had a fall out over the post of Chief Minister in the state. While both blamed each other of betraying people's mandate, Congress-NCP had rounds of talks and meetings before finalising the deal. Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar met Uddhav Thackeray on Monday evening and an official statement from his party is also expected. 

READ: BJP tells Maha Guv it won't form govt, dares Sena to go with Cong-NCP

Sena's Arvind Sawant resigns 

Union Minister and Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant has announced on Monday that he is resigning from the Union Government. Earlier on Sunday, speaking minutes after BJP's announcement, Sena's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said that if Uddhav Thackray has said that there will be Sena CM then there will be Sena CM at any cost. Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to finalise on formation of the Maharashtra government. 

READ: BJP declines to form Maharashtra govt; this is what may happen next

NCP says ready to form govt

After the core committee meeting of his party at YB Chavan centre in Mumbai, Mumbai NCP chief Nawab Malik said that the party will decide only after Congress takes a decision at 4 PM. Earlier in the day, Malik said that the party will make the decision if the governor invites them to form the government. Speaking to news agency ANI, he said that the final decision will be taken after meeting with party leaders and reiterated the condition of Sena's separation from NDA. 

Speaking to Republic TV on Sunday, Mumbai NCP chief Nawab Malik laid out three conditions that needed to be fulfilled before the Sharad Pawar-led party allies with Shiv Sena. He said: "If the governor is calling Shiv Sena, then it has to first announce that they are not in the NDA (National Democratic Alliance). They must part from the Bharatiya Janata Party and they must give a proposal (to the NCP) on how they want to go ahead. So until and unless they resign from the Centre, they break relation with the BJP, they sent a proposal to us, no decision can be announced (sic)," said Nawab Malik.

READ: Nawab Malik: 'NCP may think about govt formation, if guv invites us'

BJP says will not form govt

BJP on Sunday evening met governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and informed the governor that it will not form the government in the state. Addressing a press conference after meeting the governor, BJP leader Chandrakant Patil said that Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena can stake claim to form the government. He said that Sena has betrayed the mandate of the people of Maharashtra.

READ: Sena's deadline nearing, Sonia tells Uddhav she'll take the final call