Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said that he talked to Sonia Gandhi about the political situation in Maharashtra but did not discuss any possible alliance with the Shiv Sena.
The NCP leader met Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence, Delhi.
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“We discussed in detail about Maharashtra’s political situation. I briefed her on it. AK Antony was also there. Certain leaders of both {Congress-NCP} parties will meet and discuss further and get back to us,” Pawar told reporters.
On being asked if Sonia Gandhi was opposed to the idea of forming a government with the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, Pawar said, “There was no talk of government formation in our meeting; this meeting was all about discussing Congress and NCP.”
“We have to sort out a few more things. We want to talk to all parties who supported us. We did not talk about the Shiv Sena,” the NCP chief said.
The NCP has been conducting negotiations with Congress for a possible alliance with the Shiv Sena after the latter’s alliance with the BJP did not work out over which party would bag the Maharashtra chief minister’s post.
“The BJP-Shiv Sena fought together, we {NCP} and Congress fought together. They have to choose their path and we will do our politics,” Pawar had said earlier.
Maharashtra was placed under President’s rule on November 12 after no party or alliance staked claim to form the government.
The NCP supremo’s meeting with the Congress chief comes a day after the NCP’s core committee held a meeting in Pune and decided that the current President’s rule in Maharashtra should end and an “alternative government” should be formed.