'NCP to mull alternative if BJP-Sena fail to form govt'

The NCP will try to give an alternative if the BJP and the Shiv Sena fail to form government in Maharashtra, the opposition party's chief spokesperson, Nawab Malik, said on Friday.

Malik's comment came even as senior party leader Ajit Pawar has maintained the NCP will sit in the opposition along with the Congress.

Malik hit out at BJP leader and state minister Sudhir Mungantiwar over his statement that Maharashtra may head for President's rule if the new government is not in place by November 7.

"This looks like some threat," he said.

"The people have asked the BJP and Shiv Sena to form the government. If they fail to do that on the floor of the House, we will try to give an alternative," Malik said without divulging details.

The BJP-Shiv Sena fought the October 21 Maharashtra Assembly election in an alliance, but are now sparring over sharing the chief ministerial post.

The Shiv Sena is for sharing the post for two-and-a-half-years each, but the BJP is reluctant to implement such an arrangement.

The BJP won 105 seats in the election, while the Shiv Sena emerged a distant second, bagging 56 seats.

On the other hand, the NCP and Congress won 54 and 44 seats, respectively, in the 288-member Assembly, where the majority mark is 145.