Pawar said he discussed the political situation in Maharashtra with Sonia Gandhi but there was no talk on government formation.
The much-awaited meeting between Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday failed to yield any result as the suspense over government formation in Maharashtra continues.
Congress and NCP have been locked in talks with Shiv Sena over government formation after Uddhav Thackeray-led party's alliance with the BJP fell apart. BJP and Shiv Sena fought Maharashtra elections together but fell out over the later's demand of '50-50' formula or a rotational chief minister.
After meeting with Mrs Gandhi, which was earlier scheduled for Sunday, Pawar said the two leaders did discuss the political situation in Maharashtra but there was no talk on government formation.
"There was no talk of Govt formation in our meeting, this meeting was all about discussing Congress and NCP," Pawar said in response to a question if Sonia Gandhi was against an alliance with Shiv Sena.
He, however, added that they discussed in detail about Maharashtra's political situation.
"I briefed her on it (Maharashtra's political situation). Mr AK Antony (senior Congress leader and former Defence Minister) was also there," Pawar told reporters after the meeting.
Some leaders of both Congress and NCP will meet and discuss further, he added.
When asked about Shiv Sena's claim that it had support of 170 MLAs, Mr Pawar said he could not speak for the other party.
"I don't know about this 170 figure. You should have asked them (Shiv Sena)," he said in response to the question.
Senior leaders of the three parties - NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena - had met to finalise a draft Common Minimum Programme (CMP) last week and the meeting between Sonia and Pawar was supposed to take the final call on the draft agreed upon for the proposed coalition government in Maharashtra.
Earlier on Monday, two statements, one each by Pawar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggered speculations in the political circles of the national capital.
Pawar, ahead of his meeting with Mrs Gandhi, said, "BJP-Shiv Sena fought together, we (NCP) and Congress fought together. They have to choose their path and we will do our politics."
Later, Prime Minister Modi while speaking in the Rajya Sabha showered praises on Pawar's party for not rushing to the Well of the House to register their protest on various issues.
Following a power tussle with BJP on sharing the chief minister's post, Shiv Sena is adamant on a non-BJP government in Maharashtra and the three parties are having talks for government formation.
President's Rule was imposed in the state last week after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's report to Centre that no stable government was possible in Maharashtra under the current political scenario.
Shiv Sena and BJP contested the recently-held assembly elections together but failed to reach an agreement for government formation. The Shiv Sena's demand of 50-50 government formula, asking for the chief minister's post of two and half years, was not accepted by the BJP.
After BJP failed to stake claim to form the government, the Shiv Sena has tried to rope in NCP and Congress for an alliance government.
Since Shiv Sena has 56 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly, way below the half-way mark of 144, it will need both the NCP's 54 and Congress' 44 legislators to reach the magic number.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "File Photo:")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}