City
Epaper

Sonia chairs crucial meet over support to Sena-NCP in Maha

By IANS | Updated: November 11, 2019 17:40 IST

With all eyes on Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi to give a signal on supporting the Shiv Sena and the NCP in forming the Maharashtra government, several senior party leaders, including from the state, held a crucial meeting for the second time at her residence on the issue.

Open in App

Gandhi, who held a meeting with senior party leaders Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge, K.C. Venugopal, Ambika Soni, and Jyotiraditya Scindia in the morning for over one and a half hours, again held a detailed meeting with party leaders, along with senior leaders from the state, to come to a conclusion.

The second meeting started at 4 p.m. at her residence here with Maharashtra leaders like Rajiv Satav, Rajani Patil, Manikrao Thackarey, former Chief Ministers Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan, Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat, Vijay Wadettiwar and others.

The meeting comes in the wake of reports that majority of Congress MLAs of the state favoured supporting Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Congress has to take a final call by Monday itself.

The Congress, which had won 44 out of the state's 288 seats in the October 21 Assembly polls, had shifted all its MLAs to Jaipur fearing poaching attempts.

Interacting with reporters in the afternoon, Congress in-charge of Maharashtra, Kharge said: "We had a discussion on Maharashtra."

According to Congress sources, a decision of giving outside support or joining the government will be taken only after consultation with state leaders.

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena's sole representative in the Union Cabinet, Arvind Sawant announced he would quit the government over the Maharashtra fallout. Accusing the BJP of backing out of its '50:50 formula' promise made to his party, he said allegations of not having any such talks "hurt the pride of the Thackeray family" and put a question mark on the continuance of the BJP-Sena alliance.

On Sunday, the BJP informed Governor B.S. Koshyari that it cannot form the government despite being the single largest party in the Assembly with 105 seats, and he then invited the Shiv Sena, being the second largest party, to form the government.

The Shiv Sena, which won 56 out of the 288 seats in the state, had been insisting on the rotational chief ministership in the state which the BJP refused leading to the political crisis for the last fortnight in the state.

The senior leadership of the NCP, which bagged 55 seats, also had a meeting of the party's core committee to discuss government formation.

According to NCP sources, Pawar is set to call Gandhi after her meeting with the party leaders ends.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: congressmaharashtrabjpShiv Senancp
Open in App

Related Stories

MumbaiMumbai Local Train Mega Block on December 27, 2025: Services to Be Affected on Central, Harbour and Western Lines on Sunday; Check Details

MaharashtraKMC Elections 2026: Congress Announces First List of 48 Candidates for Kolhapur Municipal Corporation Polls

Maharashtra"Public will give them befitting response": Maharashtra CM on UBT Sena-MNS alliance

ThaneThane Shocker: Teen Girl Dies by Suicide At Hostel In Murbad; Police Probe On

PunePrashant Jagtap, Former NCP-SP Pune City Chief, Joins Congress Ahead of PMC Elections

National Realted Stories

NationalNo public rally during HM Amit Shah's 3-day year-end visit to Bengal

NationalNepal Ambassador calls on Gujarat CM; explores ties in tourism, IT, and energy

NationalLord Jagannath's blessings inspire me to discharge my constitutional duties with greater dedication: CEC Gyanesh Kumar

NationalPakistan central bank chief's warning hints clock has run out: Report

NationalAssam launches initiative to boost healthcare for tea garden workers