\'Shiv Sena wasn\'t discussed\': Pawar after meeting Sonia Gandhi

New Delhi: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday briefed Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the political situation in Maharashtra and they decided that the two parties will hold further talks on the formation of a government in the state.

Pawar, in a press conference here, said no further issues were discussed after the briefing. ''Will keep an eye on the situation,'' he said.

He also said that the senior leaders would be taken into confidence and once their opinion is taken, a future course of action would be decided.

He said that alliance between the three parties  (Shiv Sena- Congress- NCP) was not discussed at all and that it was an exclusive 'Congress-NCP' meeting.

He further questioned the Sena on the number of MLAs it is claiming to have, which is 170. "Don't know where Shiv Sena is getting 170 MLAs from,'' he said.

He asserted that no decision has been taken about forming government with any party.

Pawar further said that a lot of things have to be taken into consideration and cannot be ignored. He mentioned Swabhimani Shetkari, Samajwadi Party (SP), Republican group.

"We have to take all into confidence,'' he said.

Taking to Twitter, Congress Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "Sharad Pawar met the Congress President today and briefed her on the situation in Maharashtra. It was decided that in a day or two, representatives from NCP and Congress will meet in Delhi to discuss the way forward."

The NCP is in talks with ally Congress for a possible alliance with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena after its alliance with the BJP fell apart over the chief minister's post.

Ahead of his meeting with Gandhi, Pawar said all political parties seeking to stake claim in forming the government in Maharashtra have to "choose their own paths".

"BJP-Shiv Sena fought together, we (NCP) and Congress fought together. They have to choose their path and we will do our politics," Pawar told reporters ahead of the start of the Winter Session of Parliament.

Maharashtra was placed under President's rule on November 12 after no party or alliance staked claim to form government.

Read: 'BJP-Sena should choose their path,' Pawar's strange reply on Maha govt

The BJP-Sena saffron alliance had secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats, respectively, in the 288-member Assembly. The Congress and NCP, pre-poll allies, won 44 and 54 seats respectively.

(with inputs from PTI)

 

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