Maharashtra Stalemate: Sharad Pawar rules out forming govt with Sena, warns of constitutional crisis

Mumbai, Nov 06: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday ruled out any possibility of the NCP-Congress combine to form government in Maharashtra, a week after buzz about a possible arrangement with rival Shiv Sena.

"We want them (BJP and Shiv Sena) to form the government. There shouldn't be any constitutional crisis. I will meet Sonia Gandhi over the next few days," Pawar told reporters.

Pawar reaffirmed his stand that the NCP will not form the government in Maharashtra.

"The Sena and the BJP are in alliance for 25 years, they will form government. The President's rule is just a threat to the Sena. If 24 hours are left, I will be confident till the 23rd hour that something will work out between both of them. I am sure some decision will be taken in the last hour," he said.

To a question on Mr Raut's claim that the Sena has the support of 170 members, Pawar said that the calculation did not include his party and the Congress.

"Even I want to ask Sanjay Raut how he will get 170," Pawar said.

The BJP, which won 105 seats, and the Shiv Sena, which bagged 56 seats, are locked in a bitter tussle over sharing of the chief minister's post and ministerial portfolios in new government, even 13 days after the Assembly poll verdict handed them enough seats to cobble up a coalition government.

They won 161 seats together in the 288-member House, much above the halfway mark of 145. Besides, the opposition NCP won 54 seats while the Congress got 44 seats.