Sena claims 'in-principle' backing from NCP,Cong for its govt but fails to get letters of support; Guv invites NCP

The Shiv Sena on Monday claimed that the NCP and Congress have agreed "in-principle" to back its government without the BJP in Maharashtra but failed to get letters of support from the political rivals before the deadline set by the Governor who rejected its plea for three more days to do so.

As the impasse in government formation entered the 18th day and the prospect of President's rule loomed, the Congress appeared not wanting to take a hasty decision to align with its ideological rival, and decided to hold further talks with its pre-poll ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on the issue of supporting the Sena.

As the 7.30 pm deadline ended for Shiv Sena, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday night invited the NCP asking it to express "willingness and ability to form government".

State unit NCP president Jayant Patil said the party will discuss the issue with Congress and get back to the governor by 8:30 pm on Tuesday.

"As per the procedure, the governor has given us a letter being the third largest party in the state of Maharashtra and therefore, we have suggested to him that we will have to talk to our alliance partner," Patil told reporters.

On Sunday night, the Governor had asked the Shiv Sena to "indicate the willingness and ability" of the party to stake claim, hours after its pre-poll partner and longtime ally BJP declined to form the government.

The Sena, the second largest party in the 288-member House with 56 MLAs after the BJP's 105 members, had time till 7.30 pm to stake claim on a day marked by hectic parleys with its chief Uddhav Thackeray meeting NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and having a telephonic conversation with Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The NCP has 54 MLAs while the Congress has 44.

As Uddhav Thackeray met Pawar at a suburban hotel in Mumbai and the Congress corralled its MLAs in a Jaipur resort, Arvind Sawant, the lone Sena minister in the Union council of ministers submitted his resignation.

Putting up a brave front, Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray told reporters outside Raj Bhavan in Mumbai after meeting the Governor that his party's claim on formation of a government still stands, as two parties have agreed "in-principle" to support the Sena-led government. He didn't take names of the Congress and the NCP.

Aaditya said Governor Koshyari refused to grant more time to the Sena to muster numbers.

"We have initiated talks with the two parties. Both the parties have expressed their support in-principle to the Sena," he said. adding, "We informed the Maharashtra governor about our willingness to stake a claim for government formation. Shiv Sena MLAs have already issued their support in writing," he said.

He said the two parties (read NCP and Congress) need few more days to complete their procedures. "Hence we sought time from the governor but he refused to grant it," he added.

A Raj Bhavan communique said a delegation of Shiv Sena leaders expressed their willingness to form the government. However, the communique said they could not submit the requisite letters of support.

Further, they submitted a letter requesting for three days of extension of the deadline for submitting the letters of support.

"The Governor expressed his inability to give any further extension," the communique said.

Later, another Raj Bhavan statement said that the Governor "today asked the leader of elected members of the third largest party, the Nationalist Congress Party, Ajit Pawar to indicate the willingness and ability of his party to form the government in Maharashtra."