Sharing power with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra will be disastrous for Congress: Sanjay Nirupam

Mumbai: Shortly after Congress leader Milind Deora said that Maharashtra Governor should invite the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-Congress alliance to form the next government in the state, senior party leader Sanjay Nirupam on Sunday tweeted and said that it was not possible for the NCP-Congress to form any government without Shiv Sena. Also, Nirupam vehemently opposed a coalition with the Sena saying that such a move will be disastrous for the Congress.

Taking to microblogging site, Nirupam asserted that Congress will not form an alliance with Shiv Sena to form government in Maharashtra. "In the current political arithmetic in Maharashtra, its just impossible for Congress-NCP to form any govt. For that, we need Shiv Sena. And we must not think of sharing power with Shiv Sena under any circumstances. That will be a disastrous move for the party," Sanjay Nirupam said.  

In the current political arithmetic in Maharashtra, its just impossible for Congress-NCP to form any govt. For that we need ShivSena. And we must not think of sharing power with ShivSena under any circumstances.
That will be a disastrous move for the party.#MaharashtraCrisis — Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) November 10, 2019

Earlier on Sunday, senior Congress leader Milind Deora had said the NCP-Congress alliance should be invited by the governor to form the government in Maharashtra as the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)-Shiv Sena alliance has refused to do so.

"Maharashtra's Governor should invite NCP-Congress - the second largest alliance - to form the government now that BJP-Shivsena has refused to do so," Milind Deora said in a tweet.

Maharashtra’s Governor should invite NCP-Congress - the second largest alliance - to form the government now that BJP-Shivsena have refused to do so

— Milind Deora मिलिंद देवरा (@milinddeora) November 10, 2019

As the political deadlock continues in Maharashtra, sources have suggested that NCP and Congress, who fought the recently-held election in the state in a pre-poll alliance bagged 54 and 44 seats respectively, falling short by 47 seats to form a government in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, could forge an alliance with the Shiv Sena, which bagged 56 seats and can take the total number of seats to 163, along with the support of six independents. 

This comes as BJP and Shiv Sena, which contested the election as allies under Mahayuti and emerged as a clear winner with 161 seats together, have been locked in a bitter tussle over the Chief Minister's post.

Milind Deora's tweet had come a day after Maharashtra Governor invited Devendra Fadnavis, who is the leader of the single-largest party BJP, to show his willingness to form the government in the state and prove majority by Monday. 

"Elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly were held on October 21 and the results were declared on October 24. However, despite the passage of 15 days, no single party or alliance of parties has come forward to form the government," the official statement of the Governor has said while inviting BJP leader Fadnavis.

Fadnavis will now have to prove the majority on the floor of the house till Monday, failing which the Governor may ask Shiv Sena, the second-largest party in the state with 56 seats the same. Sources suggest that the BJP will most likely decline the Governor's offer and convey to him its inability to form the government in the state. 

It may be recalled that the term of the tenure of the 13th state Assembly ended on November 9. In case, the Shiv Sena also fails to prove the majority in the house, the Governor will approach the third-largest party and so on. If, however, no party manages to prove a majority to form the government, the state will then go to President's Rule.