40 Congress MLAs ready to extend support to the Shiv Sena, say sources
Forty MLAs of the Congress party have said they would extend their support to the Shiv Sena, sources told India TV. A total of 44 Congress MLAs were a part of the discussion to extend support to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. According to what the MLAs have said, they are in favour of government formation by Shiv Sena in the state.
An official announcement on the same, however, is awaited and is to be taken by the Congress Working Committee. Meanwhile, state Congress leaders will arrive in Delhi Monday evening, wherein a decision and a formal announcement on supporting the Shiv Sena is expected.
The Mumbai Congress is divided over the issue with senior leaders contradicting each other.
Former Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam has raised a red flag against the party extending support to Sena, while his successor and former union minister Milind Deora wants to see a Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine government.
The reactions came after the largest party BJP expressed its inability to form the government prompting Governor B.S. Koshyari to invite Sena - the second elected group - to show willingness and ability to give the state a new administration.
While Deora said the Governor should invite NCP-Congress alliance to form the government now that the BJP-Sena have refused to do so, Nirupam said it was impossible for the Congress-NCP to form any government in the current political arithmetic.
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