Maha impasse: Sena's Raut texts Ajit Pawar, he says will call

On the eve of NCP president Sharad Pawar's meting with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi amid an impasse over government formation in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena seems to have reached out to the Sharad Pawar-led party on Sunday.

The speculation the Sena was exploring alternative options other than the ally BJP got strengthened on Sunday when senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar showed reporters a phone message from Sena MP Sanjay Raut, which just contained a formal introduction of and greetings from the latter.

The Sena and the BJP are locked in a dispute over the chief minister's post, which has delayed government formation, prompting speculation that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party may ally with the NCP and the Congress to form a government.

The message from Raut read "Namaskar mi Sanjay Raut. Jai Maharashtra".

Speaking on the message, former deputy chief minister Pawar said, "This means I should call him. I will call and check."