Mumbai, Nov. 2 (PTI): The deadlock over government formation in Maharashtra continued on Saturday with the Shiv Sena, which wants the chief minister's post, alternately hardening and softening its stand, and the ally BJP playing the waiting game.
The saffron allies, which secured a comfortable majority in the October 21 Assembly polls, are yet to start formal talks for thrashing out the power-sharing deal.
On the other hand, the Nationalist Congress Party said its supremo Sharad Pawar will meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday, while a Muslim Congress MP from Maharashtra suggested that his party back the Sena to form government.
State BJP president Chandrakant Patil held a meeting with party leaders V Satish and Vijay Puranik here.
Asked later if a solution was in sight, Patil said he had prayed to Goddess Ambabai (the famous deity of his hometown, Kolhapur) for the same.
Shiv Sena mouthpiece `Saamana' came out with a stinging editorial criticising BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar for his remarks that President's rule would be imposed if government was not formed, terming it a threat.
Mungantiwar countered the tirade saying he was only talking about constitutional provisions in case government is not formed within the stipulated period.
"I am forest minister. If the tiger (tiger is the Sena's mascot) is growling unnecessarily, we know how to preserve and conserve it. We will take the tiger along," he said.He also expressed confidence that the government will be in place before November 10. The swearing-in will take place on November 6 or 7, he told reporters.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who is the executive editor of the Saamana, said it was the BJP's right to form government since it is the single largest party.
"Let it get 15 days to prove its majority. If it fails to get majority, Shiv Sena will prove its majority," he said.
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was hurt after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis denied "what had been already agreed on" between the two allies, Raut said.
He said it was the BJP which had sought alliance. "We had our doubts. But we thought we should give them a chance.
Now we are saying the BJP should honour the commitment. Accept what has been agreed on," Raut said.
Raut also welcomed Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Hussain Dalwai's missive to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi about the present situation. Dalwai, a Muslim leader, wrote to Gandhi that the party should support the Shiv Sena.
"Shiv Sena and BJP are different. The Sena had supported Pratibha Patil, Pranab Mukherjee for President's post. Shiv Sena politics has become all-inclusive unlike that of the BJP which is extreme. We must support the Sena to keep the BJP out of power," Dalwai told reporters, quoting his letter.
He said a cross-section of the Muslim community in the state would prefer the Sena over the BJP.
Some other state Congress leaders have already mooted backing the Sena to keep the BJP out of power. But Raut was quick to add that the Shiv Sena had fought the elections in alliance with the BJP, and it would stick to the "coalition dharma" till the end.
Meanwhile, NCP leader Ajit Pawar said that party chief Sharad Pawar will visit Delhi on Monday and meet Sonia Gandhi.
At a time when the BJP and the Shiv Sena are unable to arrive at a consensus on sharing of power in Maharashtra, a Congress leader on Saturday wrote to party chief Sonia Gandhi requesting her the Sena be given support to form the next government if it comes up with such proposal.
The Sena lost no time in welcoming the stand of the Congress leader Hussain Dalwai, a Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra, who has written the letter.
Dalwai recalled the Sena had supported Congress nominees Pratibha Patil and later Pranab Mukherjee for the post of President of India in the past.
"Shiv Sena and BJP are different. The Sena had supported Pratibha Patil, Pranab Mukherjee for the President's post. Shiv Sena politics has become all-inclusive unlike that of the BJP which is extreme.
We must support the Sena to keep the BJP out of power," Dalwai told reporters while quoting his letter.
He said a cross-section of the Muslim community in the state would prefer the Sena over the BJP.
The Congress seems to be divided over supporting the Sena which is one of the founding members of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Leaders like AICC general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge, Sushilkumar Shinde, Sanjay Nirupam are against extending support to the Sena.
When asked about Dalwai's letter, senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut has said, "Dalwai belongs to the socialist ideology. He comes from a family of progressive Muslims. We welcome his stand. But, Sena fought the elections in an alliance and we will adhere to the coalition dharma till the end."
