MUMBAI: Former state chief minister

on Tuesday said Congress will "consider any concrete proposal" from

on government formation. NCP leader Praful Patel and state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat had insisted they were not in favour of an alliance with Sena and would rather sit in the Opposition.

"At present, our party is not in a position to form the government. But if Sena submits a specific proposal, it will be brought to the notice of the Congress high command along with our views,'' Chavan told TOI. Chavan's statement assumes significance as Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said if BJP refuses to part with the CM's post, it had other options.

Chavan said even if BJP forms the government with Sena, it will not last long due to an atmosphere of mistrust. "Sena does not have faith in BJP, which too does not trust it. This is evident from statements of chief minister

and Raut. Since BJP has more seats than Sena, it will never part with the CM's post,'' Chavan said. He felt it was high time Sena accepts the 1995 portfolio-sharing formula, instead of demanding the CM's post. "Then Sena leader Manohar Joshi was chief minister, while BJP had the departments of home, irrigation, finance and public works. Sena should ask for these departments and settle the dispute,'' Chavan said.

He said whether to form the government with BJP was the internal matter of Sena, but the BJP-Sena alliance was dishonest and unnatural, lacking commitment to people. "It will be the most unstable government. Discontent is

against BJP, particularly against Prime Minister

, Amit Shah and Fadnavis over their failure to tackle the agrarian crisis, unemployment and price rise. People of

have rejected BJP at all levels, which is evident from the assembly election results. Their popularity is on the decline,'' Chavan said.

He said since neither BJP nor Sena had a clear majority, both will make all possible efforts to engineer a split. "That is the only option for both. For a majority in the house, BJP and Sena will stoop to any level,'' he said.