Although the chemistry has not been right between BJP and its ally Shiv Sena in Maharashtra with the tussle over power-sharing still continuing, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said that the people’s mandate has asked his party to sit in the opposition and it will do it.

Pawar’s comments come amid talks about the possibility of NDA constituent Shiv Sena forming government in Maharashtra with support from the NCP and the Congress.

He also called the power tussle over the top post as “childish”.

Referring to the sparring parties, Pawar said, “The people have given them the opportunity (to form government). They must use it. But what is going on now (between them) is childish in my opinion.”

The BJP and Shiv Sena, which contested the October 21 Maharashtra assembly poll jointly, won 105 and 56 seats respectively. The NCP and Congress have clinched 54 and 44 seats respectively.

On being asked about the possibility of Shiv Sena forming a government with the support of the NCP and the Congress, Pawar said there was no discussion in his party in this regard.

“We do not have a clear majority. People have asked us to sit in the opposition. We accept that mandate and will take care that we play that role effectively,” he said.

In the recent state polls, the BJP won 105 seats, while the Sena got 56 in the 288-member assembly.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party is demanding the post of Chief Minister for 2.5 years and 50:50 division of portfolios.

However, both these demands have been rejected by the BJP which has insisted that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will continue to hold the post for the next five years.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had earlier said in an apparent warning that if the party decides, it will get the required numbers to form a stable government in the state.

His remarks came after he met NCP supremo Sharad Pawar On Thursday.

On Thursday, Sharad Pawar had a series of meetings with Congress leaders, including former Chief Ministers Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan, and they discussed the ongoing BJP-Sena power tussle. However, both the parties have not revealed their cards except many second-rung leaders advocating a Sena-headed government supported by the NCP-Congress.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Congress has also stated that it intends to play the role of the opposition in Maharashtra. However, it hinted that it could offer “support” to a Shiv Sena-led government.

Congress wants the Sena to openly walk out from the alliance and then seek open support from the opposition.