Sanjay Nirupam has warned his party several times as alliance talks continue. (File)
As the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress inch closer to announcing an alliance to form a government in Maharashtra, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam today again cautioned his party and warned of "political instability", adding that the move may end up benefiting rival BJP.
"Our leaders are saying that we are taking the risk of joining hands with the Shiv Sena to stop the BJP. But how long will this alliance of the three parties that will form the government work?" the 54-year-old tweeted in Hindi.
The former Congress MP further wrote: "Either the BJP will form a government with someone or elections will be held. In both the cases, the BJP will benefit and the Congress will end up facing the brunt."
The Congress, NCP and Sena decided that a Shiv Sena chief minister will have a full five-year term, the Sena's Sanjay Raut said this morning. A common minimum programme that can accommodate the vastly different agendas of the Sena and the Congress will also be discussed as the three parties try to find a way of collaborating for the first time.
Mr Nirupam has warned his party several times as alliance talks continue.
On Thursday, Mr Nirupam had stoked a note of caution for his party saying that partnering at the third position in a Shiv Sena-led government is like ''burying'' Congress in the state.
Earlier, he had said the decision to ally with Sena would be a "disastrous move" for his party. "In the current political arithmetic in Maharashtra, it is just impossible for Congress-NCP to form any government. For that we need Shiv Sena. And we must not think of sharing power with Shiv Sena under any circumstances. That will be a disastrous move for the party," he had tweeted said last Sunday.
In another post that he tweeted next day, the Congress leader wrote: "No matter who forms (the) government and how... political instability in Maharashtra cannot be ruled out now. Get ready for early elections. It may take place in 2020. Can we go to the elections with Shiv Sena as partner?" Mr Nirupam, who was formerly with the Sena, tweeted this morning.
Maharashtra was placed under President's Rule last week after no party could produce letters of support to prove their majority. The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44.
However, despite a pre-poll alliance, the BJP and Shiv Sena did not form a government together after the two parties failed to reach an agreement over Sena's demand of "50:50 arrangement".