<p class="title">NCP leader Ajit Pawar has said his party and ally Congress will sit in the opposition even as the ruling BJP and the Shiv Sena remain engaged in a tussle over government formation in Maharashtra.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pawar said the people of the state have asked his party to sit in the opposition, as reflected in the election results, and it will do the same.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He made the remarks after a meeting of key NCP leaders at party president Sharad Pawar's residence late night on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The former Maharashtra deputy chief minister's comments came amid speculation about the Shiv Sena-NCP forming government in the state with outside support from the Congress.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The NCP won 54 seats, while its ally Congress clinched 44 seats.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On the other hand, the BJP and Shiv Sena won 105 and 56 seats, respectively, in the October 21 election to the 288 -member Assembly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ajit Pawar, re-elected from the Baramati assembly seat in Pune district, refrained from commenting on the ongoing war of words between the saffron allies over sharing of power in the new government.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The taunting going on between the BJP and the Shiv Sena is completely their concern. I have no reason to make any statement in that regard...</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The people have asked the Congress, NCP and allies to sit in the opposition. We will work accordingly," Ajit Pawar told reporters wearing a smile on his face.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said the BJP and the Shiv Sena may discuss government formation and come to a conclusion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ajit Pawar also said the NCP, the Congress and their other allies will meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in a day or two on the issue of damage caused to crops by untimely rains in various parts of the state.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The meeting of NCP leaders followed several newly- elected Congress MLAs too calling on Sharad Pawar in the evening on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat and former Maharashtra Chief Ministers Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan also met Sharad Pawar on Thursday morning.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The trio later flew to Delhi to hold parleys on the issue with party president Sonia Gandhi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"A possibility of the Shiv Sena and NCP forming government with outside support from the Congress is talked about.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"But it all depends on what stand the Shiv Sena and the Congress take," sources said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Meanwhile, Gandhi is learnt to be holding a meeting on Friday afternoon with Thorat, Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan and two other Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar and Manikrao Thakare in Delhi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Shiv Sena is demanding the Chief Minister's post on a rotational basis and 50:50 division of portfolios.</p>.<p class="bodytext">However, the BJP has insisted that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue to hold the post for the next five years.</p>
<p class="title">NCP leader Ajit Pawar has said his party and ally Congress will sit in the opposition even as the ruling BJP and the Shiv Sena remain engaged in a tussle over government formation in Maharashtra.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pawar said the people of the state have asked his party to sit in the opposition, as reflected in the election results, and it will do the same.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He made the remarks after a meeting of key NCP leaders at party president Sharad Pawar's residence late night on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The former Maharashtra deputy chief minister's comments came amid speculation about the Shiv Sena-NCP forming government in the state with outside support from the Congress.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The NCP won 54 seats, while its ally Congress clinched 44 seats.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On the other hand, the BJP and Shiv Sena won 105 and 56 seats, respectively, in the October 21 election to the 288 -member Assembly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ajit Pawar, re-elected from the Baramati assembly seat in Pune district, refrained from commenting on the ongoing war of words between the saffron allies over sharing of power in the new government.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The taunting going on between the BJP and the Shiv Sena is completely their concern. I have no reason to make any statement in that regard...</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The people have asked the Congress, NCP and allies to sit in the opposition. We will work accordingly," Ajit Pawar told reporters wearing a smile on his face.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He said the BJP and the Shiv Sena may discuss government formation and come to a conclusion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ajit Pawar also said the NCP, the Congress and their other allies will meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in a day or two on the issue of damage caused to crops by untimely rains in various parts of the state.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The meeting of NCP leaders followed several newly- elected Congress MLAs too calling on Sharad Pawar in the evening on Thursday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat and former Maharashtra Chief Ministers Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan also met Sharad Pawar on Thursday morning.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The trio later flew to Delhi to hold parleys on the issue with party president Sonia Gandhi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"A possibility of the Shiv Sena and NCP forming government with outside support from the Congress is talked about.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"But it all depends on what stand the Shiv Sena and the Congress take," sources said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Meanwhile, Gandhi is learnt to be holding a meeting on Friday afternoon with Thorat, Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan and two other Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar and Manikrao Thakare in Delhi.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Shiv Sena is demanding the Chief Minister's post on a rotational basis and 50:50 division of portfolios.</p>.<p class="bodytext">However, the BJP has insisted that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue to hold the post for the next five years.</p>