Congress raining on NCP-Sena parade? No Maha govt without Sonia nod, says Kharge

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, while speaking to the news agency ANI, dismissed claims of imminent government formation in Maharashtra and said that the future course of action will be decided after the party chief Sonia Gandhi and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar meet each other. The meeting between the two politicians is scheduled to happen on Monday, November 17. This comes after NCP chief Sharad Pawar in a press conference, on Friday, speaking about the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress, made a statement saying, "This government will be formed, and it will complete five years. We all will ensure this government runs for five years”. 

Mallikarjun Kharge on government formation in Maharashtra 

Speaking about the rumours regarding the government formation in Maharashtra, Mallikarjun Kharge said that “Congress cannot make the decision alone. Our alliance partner in Maharashtra, NCP and Sharad Pawar need to sit down with our AICC President Sonia Gandhi and they need to make the decision together. The things that you have been watching on the television are all rumours. All these rumours are baseless, November 17 is the day when our chiefs will sit together and discuss the things. Only after this meeting, we will know what the exact agenda and future course of action are”. 

Watch: Mallikarjun Kharge briefs media amid Maharashtra drama

Devendra Fadnavis confident on forming government in Maharashtra 

According to sources, former CM Devendra Fadnavis also told the BJP MLAs and cadres in a meeting on Friday that they will soon form government in the state. This comes at a time when NCP Chief Sharad Pawar has stated that a Sena-NCP-Congress government will be formed which will run for 5 years, while addressing reporters in Nagpur. The NCP supremo is currently meeting farmers in Chargaon village, Nagpur, to assess crop damage and will meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi over the weekend to finalise the Common Minimum Program. 

Read: Mallikarjun Kharge meets Maharashtra Cong MLAs to discuss impasse

Nawab Malik reacts to BJP’s claims 

Talking about the BJP’s Maharashtra leaders' meeting that took place on Saturday, where the former chief minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis told them to get ready for re-election, Nawab Malik said, “The 70% of MLAs, MPs, and MLCs that are there in BJP are not original BJP people. They had defected their own parties for power. Now, it is very obvious that they are upset. They are very also very confused. Like a defeated General, he (Devendra Fadnavis) wants to encourage the defected people and that is why he has been saying that there will be a BJP government. But the people of Maharashtra know, there is no question that BJP will come into power”. 

(With ANI Inputs)

Read: Mallikarjun Kharge: People gave Cong mandate to sit in opposition

Read: 'We will try best to get non-BJP Govt in Haryana': Mallikarjun Kharge