Mandated to sit in Oppn, says Cong-NCP

Amid efforts between BJP and Shiv Sena to come to the table, the NCP-Congress Opposition alliance on Sunday reiterated that they would not like to disturb the process in any manner.

Even though some Congress and NCP leaders spoke about possibilities of extending support to Shiv Sena, senior NCP leader Praful Patel made it clear that there was no such move

Patel is the key confidante of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and a former civil aviation minister.

"I want to make it clear that we will be in Opposition and play the role of a strong Opposition....we don't want to have any role in the government formation...the BJP and Shiv Sena have got the mandate, our best wishes to them," he said on Saturday.

Patel said that it is the mandate of the people and need to be respected.

It may be recalled when the results were pouring in on Thursday, Pawar himself had ruled out the possibility to Sena.

But the move gained currency when senior Congress leaders Prithviraj Chavan and Husain Dalwai and NCP veteran Chhagan Bhujbal indicated of different possibilities.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar, too, said that people have given the role of Opposition to Congress and they will perform it. "But if any alternative has to be discussed then Shiv Sena has to come to us....so far they have not come to us."