Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi : The Congress Working Committee meeting held on Monday to decide whether to support the Shiv Sena in forming the government in Maharashtra was inconclusive. A majority of Congress legislators in the state are in favour of backing Sena.
AICC general secretary for Maharashtra, Mallikarjun Kharge, said after the meeting that a final call on the matter would be taken after another meeting with state Congress leaders at 4 pm on Monday.
Maharashtra Congress MLAs met in Jaipur under Kharge on Sunday to decide the course of action after governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari invited the Shiv Sena to form the government.
Most MLAs supported backing Sena.
With the NCP looking amenable to backing Sena, the ball is now in Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s court.
The Congress faces a profound dilemma on the matter. While it’s MLAs want to back Sena and even to join the government, Sonia has to address the more significant issue of the political signalling a Congress alliance with Sena would send across India.
The party faces twin questions—whether to back Sena and if so whether to provide support from outside or join the government.
The NCP wants the Congress to join the government.
Congress and Sena are ideological rivals and have differed bitterly on a range of issues including the recent controversy where the Sena spoke in favour of awarding a Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar.
Congress MLAs, however, are arguing that keeping the BJP away from power is a greater necessity.
Sonia depended on CWC counsel to decide on the issue, but the CWC remained divided on the matter with a section in favour of respecting the mandate and sitting in the opposition in Maharashtra.
Now Sonia has called a meet of senior Maharashtra Congress leaders at 4 pm after which she will convey the party stand to NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
Meanwhile, the NCP said it would await a signal from the Congress to discuss attempts to form an alternative government in Maharashtra.
“We met to discuss the issue. We will wait for Congress decision on the matter. We have been told the Congress has called a meet with state leaders at 4 pm. We will decide in consultation with the Congress. Our chief Sharad Pawar has said we will decide in tandem with the Congress because we contested polls together. We will sit with Congress and decide.
The attempts to form an alternate government are underway. NCP is ready, but we want Congress on board. Even after 4 pm when Congress meets again, we will have time until 7.30 pm to form a government. Three hours are more than enough for taking a decision,” NCP leader Nawab Malik said.
