Maharashtra: NCP Hints At Supporting Shiv Sena, If It Votes Against BJP In Assembly

As the stalemate over government formation continues in Maharashtra, Mumbai NCP president Nawab Malik on Saturday said his party will consider supporting a government led by Shiv Sena if votes against the BJP in the House. "If the BJP government is formed, the NCP will vote against the government on the floor of the House. We will see if the Shiv Sena votes against the BJP in the House to pull down the government, then we will consider supporting an alternate government led by Shiv Sena," said Malik.

"The Governor has started the process by inviting BJP to form the government. This could have been started earlier also. He should take the precaution since the BJP doesn't have the number to form a stable government. The Governor should take care that horse-trading is not started by the BJP," news agency ANI quoted Malik as saying.

Meanwhile, NCP has called a meeting of its legislators on November 12 to discuss the political situation.

Earlier, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has ruled out the possibility of going with the Shiv Sena.

On Saturday, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari invited the Bharatiya Janata Party, the single largest party in the state with 105 seats, to form the government by November 11. 

"The Governor of Maharashtra Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari today asked the leader of elected members of the single largest party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shri Devendra Fadnavis to indicate the willingness and ability of his party to form the government in Maharashtra," the Governor's office said in a statement.

Fadnavis resigned as chief minister on Friday after blaming the ally Shiv Sena for rebuffing all attempts to form alliance government after the polls.

The BJP and the Sena are locked in a logjam over sharing of power, which resulted into both the parties failing to form a government even 15 days after the assembly poll verdict which handed them majority in the 288-member Assembly.