NEW DELHI, Oct 16 (UNI): The Congress will send its team to Maharashtra to decide on its Chief Minister with the early results and trends indicating that the Congress-NCP would form the government, NCP leader Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said here today after encouraging results in the state assembly polls.
"Congress has more members than Nationalist Congress Party and the leader will from the Congress," Pawar told reporters while reiterating NCP support.
Asked whether Sushil Kumar Shinde should be retained or some new face like Prithviraj Chavan should be made the CM, Pawar made it clear that his party had no role in selecting the Chief Minister saying it was the prerogative of the Congress to decide its leader.
The NCP leader ruled himself out as the Chief Minister saying he would never be in the run for the state leadership .
"I have come to Delhi and now there is no question of going back to Maharashtra as far as the state leadership is concerned." He also ruled out merging his party with the Congress.
"We would like to maintain our separate identity and extend support to the secular forces," he said.
Asked about the reason behind the Congress-NCP victory, Pawar said several factors were responsible for this which included good governance and a general apathy of the people towards leadership of Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thakre.
He, however, did not take the credit away from Mr Shinde saying the CM should be credited with the win.
The NCP leader said the people of Maharashtra did not want Thakre to come to power.
Had Thakre canvassed more in this election, the Congress-NCP would have got more seats, he said.
Prithviraj Chavan said that elected legisltors will elect "somebody" for the Chief Minister's post in Maharashtra.
"Central High Command will send its team there soon after all the results are out," he said.
