Cliffhanger in Maharashtra continues

The cliffhanger-type situation in Maharashtra continued on Monday with governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari temporarily dashing Shiv Sena's dream of having its chief minister by refusing to give additional time to secure letters of support from Congress and NCP.

However, Koshyari has not rejected the claim of government formation of the Shiv Sena.

Later, the governor invited the Sharad Pawar-led NCP to form a government and gave a day's time to establish a claim.

If Congress and NCP fail to stitch up a formal alliance with Shiv Sena by Tuesday, President's rule appears imminent.

During the day, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray reportedly had a telephonic conversation with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and met Pawar for 20 minutes.
However, by evening the formal letters of support from Congress and NCP has not landed in Raj Bhavan.

A Shiv Sena delegation led by its legislature party leader Eknath Shinde and Uddhav's son Aditya Thackeray called on Governor in the evening.

"The Congress and NCP have given us support, in principle, but we are yet to get any formal letters of support from them, it is just 24 hours, we are awaiting that," Aditya told reporters in Raj Bhavan.

The Congress on Tuesday will hold consultations with Pawar and senior Congress leaders are expected to fly down to Mumbai.

According to sources, Congress has decided to extend support to a Shiv Sena-NCP government. But both Sena and NCP want the grand old party to be part of the new coalition.
"As the governor has asked, we have expressed our willingness to form a government. We have sought time of two more days to formally stake a claim, which the Governor has not allowed," he said.

However, he made it clear that his party will continue to make efforts to form the government as the expression of interest has not been rejected.

An official communiqué from Raj Bhavan said that a delegation of leaders of Shiv Sena met Governor and expressed their willingness to form a government. "However, they could not submit the requisite letter of support. Further, they submitted a letter requesting for three days of extension of the deadline for submitting letters of support. The governor expressed his inability to give any further extension," it said.

Earlier in the day, as a precursor for talks with Congress-NCP, the Shiv Sena withdrew from BJP-led NDA and union-heavy industries and public enterprises minister Arvind Sawant resigned from the Narendra Modi-government.

Soon after the Shiv Sena delegation left, the Raj Bhavan dialled NCP for an urgent meeting.

NCP legislature party leader Ajit Pawar, state NCP chief Jayant Patil and others rushed to Raj Bhavan.

"We have been given time till Tuesday at 8.30 pm. We will speak to our alliance partner Congress and get back," Patil said.

Meanwhile, former state Congress president Manikrao Thakre said, that the letters of support has not yet been sent, both by Congress and NCP. "There would be discussions with Pawar Saheb, state leaders of both parties would be there. The next step would be taken after discussion," he added.

Throughout the day, there were hectic developments in Mumbai, New Delhi and Jaipur.

The state Congress leaders and MLAs are camping in the Rajasthan capital. In the national capital, the CWC met after which top Congress leaders rushed there.