Sonia Gandhi rules out supporting Shiv Sena in Maharashtra: Sources
New Delhi: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi has ruled out any support to Shiv Sena for a new power alignment in Maharashtra, sources told NDTV, negating the latter's leverage over ally BJP.
Mrs Gandhi had a meeting this evening with the party's Maharashtra ally Sharad Pawar, said to be in favour of such an alliance to block the BJP from coming to power in the state. While nothing was said about what transpired at the meeting, Mr Pawar spoke of another having meeting in the near future, indicating that today's discussions did not have a favourable outcome.
The Shiv Sena, engaged in a tussle with the BJP over the Chief Minister's post, has been hinting that it is ready to form government with Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress. Senior party leader Sanjay Raut even met the Governor today, during which, he said, they discussed the political situation in the state.
The Sena is also understood to have sent out feelers to the NCP. Mr Raut had earlier met Sharad Pawar, though he later said it was a courtesy call after Diwali. Yesterday, Mr Pawar's nephew and senior party leader Ajit Pawar said Mr Raut had also reached out to him.
Later in the evening, sources in the Congress said Sonia Gandhi has entirely ruled out any dealing with Sena, though a section of the party's state leaders are said to be in favour of it. She has given a "polite political no" to Mr Pawar's suggestions, sources said.
After the meeting, Mr Pawar told reporters that Sena-BJP tussle was their "internal matter" and that the Sena has not given him "any assurance". But he also admitted that he does not have the numbers to "be in the government" and that he was ready to sit in the opposition.
About his visit, he said the Congress and the NCP leaders had "discussed the way ahead, and it was decided to brief leadership in Delhi... My visit was in this regard".
The term of the Maharashtra assembly ends on November 9 and unless a new government is formed before that, President's Rule can be declared in the state.
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India-bound LPG tanker clears Hormuz
New Delhi (PTI): A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and is now headed towards the country, an official statement said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 tonnes of LPG and staffed by 20 crew, including 18 Indians, cleared the key shipping chokepoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, it said.
The cargo -- enough to meet half a days requirement of the country -- will partly tide over supply constraints being faced since the start of the West Asia conflict more than two months back.
Ship-tracking data showed its position in Oman Gulf on Sunday evening.
The very large gas carrier has previously made runs between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the war zone since a weeks-old US blockade of ships tied to Iran began, pushing transits through Hormuz back down to almost zero.
There are as many as 14 Indian flagged or India-owned vessels still stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and uninterrupted operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) control room has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails since activation, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal with no congestion reported, the statement added.
