Sonia relents, sends top aides to meet Pawar amid NCP-Cong blamegame

Amid ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra, senior leaders of Congress have left from Delhi to meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Even as Congress core committee meeting was cancelled on Tuesday morning, and reports came in that the senior leaders will not meet the NCP leaders but interim chief Sonia Gandhi will speak to Pawar on phone. However, KC Venugopal took to Twitter to say that he along with Malikarjun Kharge, Ahmed Patel will be travelling to Delhi to meet Pawar over the stalemate in Maharashtra. 

READ: Maharashtra Govt-formation LIVE Updates: NCP waits for Cong decision

This comes amid sources saying that NCP has agreed to give the Chief Minister's post to Shiv Sena, but is waiting for Congress's decision on the same. Minutes after NCP put the onus on Congress to discuss the future course of government formation in Maharashtra, Congress has now said that the delay is from NCP's chief Sharad Pawar, as per sources. As the deadline by governor to NCP for government formation in Maharashtra nears, the Mahagadhi alliance partners have began the blame game. 

READ: NCP blames Congress for delay; says no NCP-Sena govt sans Cong support

Maharashtra's political crisis

In a minute-by-minute changing dynamics of Maharashtra politics, Governor of Maharashtra on Monday night invited the third-largest party - NCP to form the government after BJP and Shiv Sena failed to provide the majority number. Congress leader KC Venugopal on Monday evening said that Congress is still discussing the formation of a government with the NCP and has to extended Outer support to the Shiv Sena. This official declaration came even as Shiv Sena reached its deadline of 7.30 PM to form the government in Maharashtra. The NCP, on the other hand, placed the onus of decision-making on Congress, saying they will take the decision only after Congress decides. After BJP on Sunday announced that it won't form government, Governor had invited the second largest party - Shiv Sena to form the government. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant also resigned from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet. 

SCOOP: NCP ready to give Maha CM post to Sena, awaiting Congress nod

Maharashtra assembly elections 

The stalemate in the state is a result of the fallout of the Mahayuti alliance partners- BJP and Shiv Sena over the post of Chief Minister in the state. While both blamed each other of betraying people's mandate, BJP made it clear to the governor that it would not form government as Sena does not wish to negotiate. In the assembly polls, the Mahayuti alliance partners won a total of 161 seats - BJP won 105 seats and Shiv Sena won 56 seats. The Mahagadhi made a comeback bagging 98 seats - (NCP 54 seats and Congress 44 seats.)

READ: NCP may seek 48 hr extension from Guv amid uncertainty over Maha govt