The Congress and the NCP on Tuesday night jointly declared that any understanding with the ideologically incompatible Shiv Sena would depend on a common minimum programme which required detailed discussions.

While the two allies rejected allegations of delay, asserting that the first formal contact with the Sena took place only on Monday, they made it clear that no decision would be taken in haste until there was clarification on “some essential points”.

These points include an agenda of governance as well as a broad commonality of approach on vital issues linked to ideological essence.

Both Sharad Pawar and Ahmed Patel insisted that detailed discussions were needed between the Congress and the NCP, followed by a dialogue with the Sena.

Pawar said: “Power distribution is not on our mind. We want clarity on policies and agenda. We haven’t yet started discussions. The Congress-NCP has a common manifesto. We will discuss with the Sena based on that agenda.”

On the perception of delay by the Congress, Patel said: “Uddhav (Thackeray) talked to Sonia Gandhi and me for the first time yesterday (Monday). We held two meetings of the working committee yesterday. Soniaji talked to Pawar and today (Tuesday) we are here in Mumbai to discuss the issues. Where is the question of delay?”

What showed a distinct synergy of approach was Uddhav’s appreciation of the Congress-NCP position. The Sena chief told a media conference later: “Forming a government in Maharashtra is not a joke, particularly when ideologically divergent parties are trying to make a new beginning. They want clarity on certain points. We are confident we can evolve a workable common agenda after discussions.”

Minutes after the Congress-NCP joint news conference, Uddhav told the media: “Hindutva has been our plank and we wanted a Ram temple in Ayodhya. But Ram is also about truth and keeping promises. The BJP is lying and didn’t keep its promise. On what grounds did the BJP align with the PDP (in Jammu and Kashmir)? And with the JDU (in Bihar) and the TDP (in Andhra)? Politics anyway is headed in a different direction and we can work together to give a new direction to the state and the country.”

Neither the Sena nor the Congress-NCP demonstrated any bitterness and frustration over the delay in support that led to the imposition of President’s rule.

Uddhav calmly contended that the governor, who was not willing to give the Sena 48 hours, has ended up giving six months, suggesting a determination to fight a protracted politico-legal battle to form a government. The Sena has already moved the Supreme Court against the imposition of President’s rule.

The governor’s unusually hasty recommendation for President’s rule on Tuesday morning after giving the NCP time till 8.30pm on Tuesday has provided enough time to the new partners to sort out issues.

There is no hurry to settle political issues as the legal battle has to be fought first now. But the leaders of the Congress and the NCP are worried about possible manipulations in the intervening period as the BJP has enormous resources and clout.

Patel told the media conference that the Narendra Modi government violated laws and Supreme Court guidelines in several states to make a mockery of the Constitution.

Kapil Sibal, who will represent the Sena in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, said: “It is absolutely amoral that the governors are doing what the central government and the BJP wants. In Karnataka, where the BJP has to show numbers, two weeks are given, but not even 24 hours is given to the Opposition to form the government. In Maharashtra, why did the governor wait for so long when he knew the Shiv Sena is not going with the BJP? The entire process could have started earlier and enough time should have been given to the parties which wanted to prove their majority.”

Lawyer and Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said: “The governor was mechanically going through the motions as if he was in a haste to recommend President’s rule. Isn’t it a farce when the governor says complete all the formalities in 24 hours? There are two groups: one, the BJP, which says ‘no’ to the offer to form the government. The Sena and the NCP say ‘yes’ and seek time to give letters of support.”

Singhvi explained: “These are two fundamentally different scenarios. The BJP says no chance of forming the government and you rightly don’t give them time. The NCP and Sena say they have the numbers and will form the government but the governor is killing that chance. Recommendation for President rule is the last resort but the governor is using it as the first choice. That’s completely wrong. These are Centre-assisted techniques and we have seen it in so many states.”

In New Delhi on Tuesday, Congress communications chief Randeep Surjewala accused Koshyari of making “a mockery of the constitutional process”.

He tweeted: “Four grave violations of the constitutional scheme as expressed in the S.R. Bommai judgment stand out. In the absence of any single party having majority in Maharashtra, the governor should have called: 1. The single-largest pre-poll alliance i.e. BJP-Shiv Sena together; 2. Second-largest pre-poll alliance Congress-NCP; 3. In case the governor called individual parties, why did he not call the Congress? 4. Why the completely arbitrary allotment of time? 48 hours to BJP, 24 hours to Sena & not even 24 hours to NCP. This is unashamedly dishonest & politically motivated.”