Sharad Pawar: Congress and NCP will make a joint decision about supporting Shiv Sena

MUMBAI: Amid talks that the NCP and Congress may support the Shiv Sena in government formation in Maharashtra, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said whatever be the decision, the two parties will take it together.

The Shiv Sena has been invited by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to stake claim to form government on Monday.

Pawar also said there has been no discussion within his party on the governor's invite to the Sena.

"We (the Congress and NCP) contested the election together. Whatever the decision, we will have to take it together," Pawar told reporters ahead of the NCP's core committee meeting here.

The BJP, which is the single largest party in the state with 105 seats, on Sunday decided against staking claim to form government for want of adequate numbers.

The governor then invited the second largest party Shiv Sena, which has been at loggerheads with the BJP over sharing the chief minister's post.

The Shiv Sena won 56 seats in the October 21 state polls, while the NCP and Congress bagged 54 and 44 seats, respectively.

While the Shiv Sena has been making efforts to reach out to the NCP and the Congress, the Pawar-led party on Sunday said the Sena will have to walk out of the NDA first.

Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant, the lone party minister in the Modi Cabinet, on Monday announced his decision to quit the NDA government.