#MaharashtraCrisis: Unlikely 'probable' allies Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar meet
What's the story
As Maharashtra is going through political turmoil, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray met NCP boss Sharad Pawar on Monday, to discuss the way forward. With BJP confirming it won't stake claim to form the government, Sena is mulling its options, the obvious one being joining hands with NCP and Congress. Meanwhile, Congress will take a final call after 4 pm. Here are more details.
Context
Backstory: Here's what you need to know about Maharashtra crisis
BJP and Sena were supposed to work together, but proving that politics is all about uncertainty, the latter demanded a rotational CM arrangement. When BJP failed to placate Sena, it decided not to stake claim to form the government. Subsequently, Uddhav Thackeray's party got an invitation from the Governor, and it approached NCP and Congress to fulfill its "Sena CM" dream.
Allies
After Sena MP quit NDA, Pawar met Thackeray
Now, NCP was never supposed to be a part of government formation but sit in opposition. However, with Sena throwing the hand, new opportunities have emerged. Thackeray and Pawar met at an undisclosed location in Mumbai hours after Arvind Sawant tendered his resignation as Union Minister. The Sena parliamentarian accused BJP of going back on its promises and claimed "truth was with" his party.
History
Sena and NCP have shared good terms in the past
NCP and Sena joining hands might be surprising, but history shows they have shared good relations. When Pawar was with Congress and had Prime Ministerial dreams, Balasaheb Thackeray had lent him support. In fact, when Congress nominated Pranab Mukherjee as President, Pawar took him to Thackeray's residence Matoshree to ensure the saffron party doesn't oppose the candidature.
Congress' stand
All eyes set on Congress' decision now
NCP's actions have shown it isn't averse to the idea of forging an alliance with Sena. But it's waiting for Congress' reply. Earlier in the day, Ahmed Patel, KC Venugopal and Mallikarjun Kharge arrived at interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi's residence for discussion. Reportedly, Kharge has handed over a letter, signed by elected legislators, in which they "gave their support" to the Sena-NCP-Congress alliance.
Quote
Waiting for NCP and Congress' confirmation: Sena MLA
"All the Sena legislators have signed our party's proposal to stake claim to form a government. We are, however, waiting for official communication from the NCP and Congress on extending support to us," said Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik.