Maharashtra power tussle: Sonia, Pawar to discuss backing Shiv Sena

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: With the war of nerves between Shiv Sena and BJP stalling formation of a saffron government in Maharashtra, Congress leaders from the state met party chief Sonia Gandhi in the national capital on Friday.
After the meeting, they said Congress would “wait and watch” the situation unfold. However, an NCP leader said party chief Sharad Pawar would meet Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on November 4, where the issue of supporting a Sena-led government would be discussed.
For their part, neither BJP nor Sena took any step towards ending the impasse on Friday, with Sena MP Sanjay Raut saying his party was ready to form the government and prove majority on the floor of the house.
While the Congress leadership appeared to suggest it was not eager to wade into the row between the saffron allies, the partys leaders from Maharashtra are learnt to have alerted the top brass that it should be prepared with a response to scenarios that may arise soon.
If Sena and BJP fail to reach a compromise, a section in Congress wants the party to join hands with NCP and Sena.
However, the leadership seems to be weighing the pros and cons. Some leaders think it is for Sena to make a proposal. While Congress has not engaged with Sena, its partner NCP has. Congress-NCP discussions have continued ever since the poll results were out on October 24.
“We are waiting and watching the political drama in Maharashtra. Congress has not put forth any claim. Sena has not given us any proposal, nor has there been any dialogue with it,” former CM Ashok Chavan told TOI. However, Chavan did not mind taking sides in the saffron conflict. “BJP is responsible for this situation. It is apparently not fulfilling the promises it made to Sena,” he said.
Mumbai leader Milind Deora said, “Congress will not allow itself to be used as a bargaining tool. We have been given a mandate to sit in the opposition and will fulfil that mandate.”
As it appears, Congress would prefer that Pawar take the lead. BeingRead More – Source