NCP asks Shiv Sena to snap ties with NDA

Jayant Patil says people of the state won’t tolerate President’s rule.

Update: 2019-11-05 20:03 GMT
Sharad Pawar

Mumbai: In a U-turn from its earlier stand that it will sit in the Opposition, the NCP has said that it might think of an alternative if the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance fails to form the government. However, the party is learned to have asked the Sena to snap its ties with the BJP-led NDA, including forfeiting the minister’s post in the Union cabinet. Jayant Patil, who is also the NCP state chief, said, “The NCP will be forced to think about an alternative if the BJP-Shiv Sena combine fails to form the government in the state.

There was no need to impose President’s rule in the state, as people will not tolerate it. We will be forced to think seriously about an alternative if the BJP and Shiv Sena fail to offer any solution together,” he said.

Mr Patil said that for the NCP, there is no question of supporting the BJP-Shiv Sena.

He also said that the party does not have the numbers to put up a candidate for the Assembly speaker’s post.

The NCP had earlier said that it will sit in the Opposition as it did not have the required numbers to form the government.

However, with the deadlock between the BJP and Sena showing no signs of ending, there is a possibility that President’s Rule may be imposed in the state.

This has forced the party to rethink its stand on government formation.

According to sources, the NCP will join hands with the Sena to form the government with outside support from the Congress. In the Vidhan Sabha polls, the Sena won 56 seats, whereas the NCP and Congress won 54 and 44 seats, respectively.  

The BJP and Shiv Sena have been bickering over sharing the chief minister’s post.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party wants the CM’s post to be shared for two-and-half years on a rotational basis, but the BJP has rejected such an arrangement.

Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar recently said that the state may see President’s Rule if there is no government in place by November 7. The total strength of these parties becomes 154.

However, for the alliance with the Sena to happen, the NCP is learned to have asked the Sena to snap its ties with the BJP-led NDA, including forfeiting the minister’s post in the Union cabinet.

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