MUMBAI/ NEW DELHI: As NCP chief Sharad Pawar discussed the impasse over government formation in Maharashtra with Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday, a leader of Pawar's party told TOI on condition of anonymity that NCP was willing to join a Shiv Sena-led government, with Congress supporting from outside and its nominee getting the speaker's post. All this would depend on the Sena terminating its alliance with the BJP, the leader added."We have proposed the kind of formula that the Sena-BJP combine had in 1995. The Sena nominee was then CM, while the BJP nominee was deputy chief minister. We have said the Sena nominee would be the CM, and the deputy CM would be from NCP," the leader said.BJP has won 105 assembly seats, Sena 56 and NCP and Congress 54 and 44 respectively. After the much-awaited meeting between the NCP chief and Sonia, which stoked the pot further amid the high-voltage battle of nerves between the saffron allies, Pawar told reporters it was for BJP to form the state government with its ally Sena since they had the numbers. Significantly, he said the mandate to NCP was to sit in the opposition, but "you cannot speak about the future".More importantly, he lent credence to Sena's brinkmanship when asked if a "bargaining game" was on between the allies. "I think the game between the two is serious," Pawar said.The NCP stalwart said he had received no proposal from Sena president Uddhav Thackeray but during his chat with reporters, added he could not speak about what would happen in future.Pawar is learnt to have urged the Congress chief to review her position on staying away from the Sena and to give a green signal to her state unit. He is also learnt to have told Sonia Gandhi that the Sena was serious in its clash with the BJP.However, Congress leaders have all along indicated that the Sena would have to come out of its clinch with the BJP for the party to move and think of an alliance with it.A former Maharashtra CM said that when state Congress leaders had called on Sonia Gandhi last week, they had told her that the Congress must initiate steps to prevent the BJP from coming to power in the state. "During that meeting, there was consensus on preventing the BJP from coming to power," the ex-CM said.Asked if the Congress would join a Sena-led government, the former CM said the top priority of the Congress-NCP front was to keep the BJP out. "We are yet to decide if we will join the government or give outside support, but we are determined to stop the BJP," he said.Among those who had met Sonia Gandhi last week were state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat, his predecessor Manikrao Thakre and former CMs Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan .However, another NCP leader said he was doubtful about the Sena taking the lead in forming the government. In the past too, the Sena had taken a firm stand against the BJP but had, at the last moment, "surrendered to the BJP leadership." "We have had experience with the Sena, its credibility is doubtful," he said."The Congress and NCP will join the Sena's efforts provided Uddhav Thackeray personally invites the two parties to join the government," the first NCP leader said.Pawar, when asked by mediapersons in Delhi if he could come back as Maharashtra CM, said, "No"."The BJP is responsible for forming the government in Maharashtra as they along with their ally have the numbers. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray or anyone else in the Sena has not sought the NCP's support," he said. "The BJP and their allies have the numbers. And responsibility is on them to form the government. We are seeing what they are doing," Pawar said.NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said that if BJP fails to stake claim, steps would have to be taken to form an alternative government. "It will be too early to comment on who will lead such a government. We expect there would be more clarity after Sharad Pawar meets his senior colleagues on Tuesday. As of now, there is no proposal from the Sena."