Soon after meeting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar, Sanjay Raut told India Today TV the meeting was nothing more than a courtesy call.

Raut had said, “Met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his residence today. I had come to wish him on the occasion of Diwali. We also discussed the politics in Maharashtra.”

Speculation has been rife over the backchannel talks between Congress-NCP and Shiv Sena following Sena’s demand of 50:50 chiefministership with BJP in the coalition government. BJP has not committed to Sena’s demand while Uddhav Thackeray’s party has earlier made it clear that there will be no government in the state till Amit Shah puts in writing that the “pre-decided” deal between BJP and Shiv Sena will be honoured.

It has been a week that the results for the Maharashtra assembly elections were declared on October 24. However, the stalemate over government formation refuses to end with Shiv Sena refusing to climb down its demand of getting an equal share in the chief minister’s post.

Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday had said if Shiv Sena comes up with a “concrete deal”, the party will consider it. However, he quickly backtracked and said it was his personal opinion.

The BJP and the Shiv Sena fought the October 21 assembly polls jointly, winning 105 and 56 seats respectively, but are engaged in a bitter tussle over sharing of power in the next government.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party wants rotational chief ministership and half of the portfolios, demands rejected by its senior partner, the BJP.

On the other hand, the NCP and its ally, the Congress, won 54 and 44 seats, respectively.