For lending support, Congress wants Shiv Sena to shed Hindutva

For lending support, Congress wants Shiv Sena to shed Hindutva

New Delhi: The Congress, which is in talks with its ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over government formation in Maharashtra, is treading cautiously in preparing the common minimum programme (CMP) before committing to the Shiv Sena and wants the latter to shed its Hindutva ideology and take a secular stand.

According to Congress sources, the party is in discussions with NCP over the CMP to form a government in the state, where President’s rule was imposed on Monday and the assembly put under suspended animation. Before committing to the Shiv Sena, the party first wants to discuss all the points of the CMP with the NCP, a Congress source said. He said that NCP chief Sharad Pawar is all set to meet Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi on the weekend to discuss the matter. He also said that Congress will look at every aspect, on whether to support government formation in the state from inside or give outside support.

According to the source, if Congress becomes the part of the government then it will also discuss the cabinet berths for the party. He, however, refused to give any time frame for government formation and said that, at this juncture, it would be very “hypothetical” to comment when a government could be formed in Mumbai. The source further said that the Congress will also study the Shiv Sena’s manifesto, and what they have promised to the people of the State. (IANS)

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