Live: Alliance with Shiv Sena will harm Congress in Maharashtra, warns Sanjay Nirupam

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have reportedly finalised a deal for the formation of a coalition government in Maharashtra, which is likely to end several days of political stalemate in the state. The three parties are likely to make a formal announcement in this regard on Friday, November 22 in a joint press conference.

However, on Thursday, the top leaders of Sharad Pawar-led NCP and the Congress party will meet again to hold last-minute parlys over the deal on government formation in Maharashtra. It has been reported that the NCP and Shiv Sena have agreed on having a rotational chief minister among themselves for 2.5 years. But it is still unclear that which party will get the first shot at the top post. But sources, however, said that the NCP will first get a chance to occupy the chief minister's chair and either NCP supremo Sharad Pawar or his daughter Supriya Sule will become the first chief minister of the Congress-NCP-Shiv Sena alliance.

On the other hand, the Congress Working Committee, the highest decision-making body of the party, met on Thursday to discuss the issue of Maharashtra alliance with Shiv Sena and sources say that the CWC has given its go-ahead to the deal, according to news agency IANS. 

Tune in to Zee News for Live updates about Maharashtra government formation:-

21 November 2019

12:10 IST

Nirupam recalls Nirupam Congress party's previous alliance with BSP in UP and the setback the party had to face after that. 

वर्षों पहले उत्तर प्रदेश में #BSP के साथ गठबंधन करके काँग्रेस ने गलती की थी।
तब से ऐसी पिटी कि आज तक नहीं उठ पाई।
महाराष्ट्र में हम वही गलती कर रहे हैं।
शिवसेना की सरकार में तीसरे नंबर की पार्टी बनना कॉंग्रेस को यहां दफन करने जैसा है।
बेहतर होगा,काँग्रेस अध्यक्ष दबाव में न आएं।

— Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) November 21, 2019

12:05 IST

Maharashtra Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam says, "A govt formed with Shiv Sena will always remain paralysed ...Congress should opt out of it as this sort of an alliance will hurt the party in the long run and benefit only one other party."

12:00 IST

Shiv Sena is ready to make a commitment to secularism - a key demand of Congress, say sources. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut says his party has always been secular. 

11:41 IST

The CWC, according to Congress sources, has broadly cleared the deal on government formation with Shiv Sena and the NCP in Maharashtra.

11:06 IST

There are many points on which we need clarification if we have to run a government together for 5 years. Discussions are progressing. We will go to Mumbai today: Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat.

11:02 IST

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut continues to attack BJP, says 'Bure hi thik hain, jab acche the toh kaun sa medal mil gaya," in a tweet on Thursday.

11:00 IST

 Don't crush the students. No government should get so high on power, says Sena in Saamana editorial.

11:00 IST

The policemen who lathi-charged the visually impaired students can't be called people's servants. If this would have been done by the Congress govt, BJP would have raised the issue in the Parliament. Saamana

10:58 IST

Shiv Sena on Thursday made another scathing attack on the BJP in its mouthpiece ''Saamana'' in which it called the alleged attack on JNU students as 'oppression on the streets of Delhi'.

10:50 IST

The CWC meeting has concluded. It was attended by KC Venugopal, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Ambika Soni, Ahmed Patel, AK Antony and other Congress leaders at the 10 Janpath (residence of party's interim president Sonia Gandhi).

10:49 IST

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut says, ''The process to form the government has started. It will be completed before December 1. All three parties will hold a meeting in Mumbai.''

10:48 IST

The Congress Working Committee today discussed and decided what steps need to be taken ahead. We will now take steps as decided in the meeting, says Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Congress leader on Maharashtra govt formation.

10:47 IST

We have apprised the CWC members of the latest political situation in Maharashtra. Today, Congress-NCP discussion will continue. I think, tomorrow, we will probably have a decision in Mumbai: Congress leader KC Venugopal on CWC meeting.

10:46 IST

The Congress Working Committee met on Thursday to discuss the deal on Maharashtra government formation.