Pawar keeps Sena guessing after talks with Sonia
After 26 days of poll results, Maha impasse on
New Delhi: No early resolution of the 26-day-old impasse on government formation in Maharashtra appeared in sight on Monday, even as NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the issue did not figure in his meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi earlier in the day.
Putting a question mark on a Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP government formation in Maharashtra, Pawar remained non-committal.
The Nationalist Congress Party chief, who flew down from Mumbai to discuss the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of a Sena-Congress-NCP government, on Monday evening appeared reluctant, saying repeatedly that they did not discuss government formation.
"I had a meeting with Sonia Gandhi, and A K Antony was present. I briefed her about the political situation of the state (Maharashtra)," said Pawar. He said the NCP and Congress leaders will meet again to discuss the issues and then report to Sonia Gandhi.
Pawar also ruled out any tie-up with the BJP and said that during the meeting supporting the Shiv Sena was not discussed. He had set off alarm bells on the prospects of the three-party alliance for Maharashtra even taking off when he said in the morning that the BJP and Shiv Sena had fought together and they have to "choose their paths".
