Should we, shouldn’t we? This question rattled the Congress brass throughout Monday as it held two separate brainstorming sessions in a bid to reach at a conclusion on whether to back the ideologically-opposite Shiv Sena to form a Government in Maharashtra. And if it did, in what form would it be?

As the Congress remained divided on the issue till evening, it spoiled the chance of Sena to form the Governmnet as Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Monday night eliminated it from the Government formation exercise after it failed to produce letters of support from the NCP and the Congress.

At the end of meeting on Monday, the Congress decided to take a final call on the matter on Tuesday after its Central and State leaders talk to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who shares a good rapport with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.

Earlier, as a section of the media said the Congress and the NCP have faxed their letters of support to the Sena to the Maharashtra Governor, Congress’ State incharge Mallikarjun Kharge categorically denied having done so.

Party general secretary KC Venugopal said, “The Congress president has spoken to Pawar. The party will have further discussions with the NCP.”

Hectic parleys started early morning and involved both the AICC and PCC leaders as Congress president Sonia Gandhi took stock of the things and even spoke to Pawar and Uddhav. A majority of the newly-elected Congress MLAs from Maharashtra are in favour of forming a Government in the State by being part of it. Some called for extending an outside support to the dispensation led by the Sena. More so, as they wanted to keep the BJP out of power in the politically and financially crucial State.

Pawar made attempts to bridge the gap between Sena and a reluctant Congress and Sonia is understood to have conveyed both the parties interested in forming a Government that Congress will get back only after speaking to MLAs. Sources said Uddhav had called Sonia over phone seeking her support in Maharashtra to keep away the BJP.  “We will get back to you after speaking to MLAs,” Sonia reportedly told Uddhav who made several calls during the day to get past their differences to collaborate.

As the Sena and NCP anticipated that Congress will extend their support by the evening, the unexpected decision of the latter to discuss “once more” put cold waters on the Sena’s desire to install their Chief Minister in the State. Given the stalemate between the two former alliance partners BJP and Shiv Sena, the role of Congress with its 44 legislators and NCP with 54 MLAs is crucial. Top Congress leaders, former Maharashtra Chief Ministers Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan and Sushilkumar Shinde as well as State unit chief Balasaheb Thorat met Sonia. Earlier in the morning, all senior members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) met at Sonia’s residence.

After the meeting was inconclusive, the party leadership decided to meet again. This time senior leaders A K Antony, Ahmed Patel, Kharge and KC Venugopal attended. Sonia also spoke to senior party leader from Maharashtra Nana Patole and discussed the political possibilities.

Now with the Governor giving an opportunity to NCP to form a Government, Congress was caught in a catch 22 situation whether to honour its ally NCP in forming the Government which according to sources intends to back Sena in Maharashtra.