Alibaug (Maharashtra): The Devendra Fadnavis government on Tuesday found itself in an unenviable situation with Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, whose party had declared outside support doing a U-turn, saying the stability of the 18-day-old dispensation was not its responsibility and asking his party workers to be ready for a snap poll.
"Having a stable government in Maharashtra isn't NCP's responsibility. We have to be ready to face snap polls in Maharashtra," Pawar said addressing a two-day meeting of the party which got underway today at Alibaug in Raigad district.
"The present situation in Maharashtra is not of long term political stability. If the political instability continues, then in four to six months the state may have to face polls and that will not be good for Maharashtra," the Maratha strongman said.
After declaring unconditional outside support to the minority BJP government the day Assembly poll threw up a hung verdict, NCP has been showing signs of a rethink in the party over continuing support to the Devendra Fadnavis government.
Pawar's remarks come within a week of Fadnavis securing a controversial trust vote in the Assembly where the confidence motion was passed by a voice vote in complete chaos. NCP MLAs were reported to have remained seated quietly in their seats when the motion was put to a voice vote and declared passed.
Shiv Sena and Congress had disapproved of the procedure and petitioned the Governor to direct the government to seek a trust vote afresh.
Sharad Pawar had earlier said he doubted that the first BJP government in Maharashtra will last its full term, while his nephew and former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, too, frowned upon the way the minority government had secured the trust vote.
NCP, despite announcing support to the government, has refrained from formalising it by submitting a letter to that effect to the Governor.
"Pawar's statement isn't unexpected. People in Maharashtra who have seen Pawar's politics from close quarters won't be in the least surprised by his statement today," BJP's state chief spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said.
"We did not seek support from NCP or appealed for help. Despite this, Pawar on his own declared unconditional support.
"This sequence of events is less than a month old. In less than a month Pawar has reneged on his own words and stance," he said.
Fadnavis had on Sunday said his nascent ministry would be expanded ahead of the Winter Session beginning on December 8 and that the door was still open for talks with Shiv Sena for its participation in the government.
"The doors for talks with Sena are not closed. In politics such a thing never happens. Talks are possible," Fadnavis had said.
The talks between the two erstwhile saffron allies over forming a coalition government had collapsed over Sena's reported demands for deputy chief ministership and some key portfolios.
Sena had staked claim to the post of Leader of Opposition a day ahead of the trust vote on November 12 and its Legislature Party leader Eknath Shinde has been accorded the status of LoP.
Amid the flip-flop by NCP, BJP had reached out to Shiv Sena on Monday, the second death anniversary of its founder Bal Thackeray, promising to fulfil the party's demand for a befitting memorial to the late leader, an architect of the saffron alliance that weathered vicissitudes to last 25 years before coming apart ahead of the Assembly election.
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