NCP offers outside support to BJP in Maharashtra

In a surprise development, the Nationalist Congress Party on Sunday offered outside support to the Bharatiya Janata Party to form a government in Maharashtra "in the interest of stability and development" of the state.

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"The people of Maharashtra have not given mandate to any single party. No party is in a position to form a stable government on its own. Keeping in mind the interest of Maharashtra people, we feel we should support the party which can form the government. Maharashtra needs a stable government.”

"The BJP has emerged as single largest party and we feel that we should given them support from outside so that they can form the government in the interest of the stability and development of the state," NCP leader Praful Patel told reporters in Mumbai.

 The BJP said that it will examine the NCP's offer of outside support to help it form a government in Maharashtra and take a decision on it.

"We are thinking on it. We will examine about reasons and conditions of their support to us. We will take a decision which is in the interest of Maharashtra," state BJP chief Devendra Fadnavis.

Justifying his party’s decision to offer outside support to BJP to form a government, Patel said BJP has emerged as the largest party not very far away from the majority mark and hence NCP chose to do so to prevent “rumours and speculation” of any “unholy nexus” of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena to form a government.

“Otherwise, for the whole day people would have speculated about Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP coming together...there was talk about the unholy nexus..These kinds of rumours, talks were coming up on media channels. We wanted to put an end to it,” he reasoned.

Patel also asserted that there has been “no backroom talk, no quid pro quo” between NCP and BJP over the issue and that his party “will not go running around” after the BJP leadership to take its support. 

“We are not sitting with them for a quid pro quo programme or bargain...We have made an offer. If they take it, it is fine,” he said, adding, that NCP has no issue if BJP and Shiv Sena come together to form a government as “it is up to the two parties to handle their relationship,” he said.

Patel also alleged that the ties between Congress and NCP broke because of the “big brotherly attitude” of the former. The NCP, which was in the government headed by Congress for last 15 years in the state, has won 41 seats.

Image: NCP leader Praful Patel