Targetting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena on Tuesday questioned the leadership of its ally asking who are they to exple them from National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The Saamana editorial said that at the time when no one wanted to form an alliance with BJP and speak about Hindutva and nationalism in politics, Shiv Sena stood by the Jan Sangh and supported it with sincerity. "On what basis was the Shiv Sena expelled from the NDA. "This is the beginning of the end of egoistic and arbitrary politics," the editorial said.

Hitting out further at its former ally, the Sena in the editorial dared the BJP to come farward and take a stand and the party will accordingly respond to it. The Saamana editorial also drew comparision of BJP to Mughal emperor Muhammad Ghori and said those who stabbing at back will be given a befitting reply from Maharashtra.

Talking to media after his meeting with Pawar, Raut launched an indirect attack on the BJP on Monday and said that it was not Shiv Sena's responsibility to form government in Maharashtra and those who had got the mandate to form the government ran away from doing so.

Earlier on Monday, Pawar said that no discussion on government formation in Maharashtra took place in meeting with Sonia Gandhi. "I just had a meeting with Congress president and along with her, AK Antony was there. We discussed in detail about Maharashtra’s political situation. I have briefed her about the situation," said Sharad Pawar.

Pawar also said that senior leaders of Congress and the NCP will hold more talks over this matter and decide their future course of action. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted that during the meeting it was decided that in a day or two, representatives from NCP and Congress will meet in Delhi to discuss the way forward.

In a related development, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday (November 18) said that he had talked to Raut on reaching a compromise with BJP to form government in the state. Athawale, who heads the Republican Party of India, claimed that he had suggested formula of 3:2 to Raut and the Sena leader had said that his party could think about the new formula.

As per the new 3:2 formula suggested by Athawale, the chief minister's post will be given to the BJP for three years and Shiv Sena will get a chance to occupy the top post for two years. Athwale said that he will soon meet BJP leaders to discuss this formula with them in order to end the ongoing political stalemate in the state.

The NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena leaders are in touch with each other over forming a coalition government in Maharashtra after the snapping of ties of between BJP and Shiv Sena over the chief minister's post.

It is to be noted that the BJP and Shiv Sena contested the October 21 Assembly polls together with the BJP finishing as the single largest party after winning 105 seats. The Shiv Sena ended at second place after winning 56 seats in 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. However, the BJP-Shiv Sena failed to form the government as Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray demanded rotational chief ministerial post, a demand rejected by the BJP.