New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS): With the Congress taking it slow on government formation in Maharashtra, the Aam Aadmi Party's state leader Preeti Sharma Menon on Tuesday said the Congress leadership always puts the party before the nation and claimed that they are giving Maharashtra "on a platter" to the BJP.

"Congress leadership always puts their party before the nation. In Lok Sabha, they stubbornly refused regional alliances and helped BJP sweep. Now they are giving Maharashtra on a platter to the BJP. It's moribund attitude will decimate it soon," Menon tweeted.

She also said that the Congress MLAs in Maharashtra should join Sharad Pawar, President of Nationalist Congress Party, adding "it's really time for Congress to die".

Despite having a pre-poll alliance, the BJP and Shiv Sena were locked in a tussle over the Chief Minister's post after the Assembly election results were announced on October 24.

The BJP got 105 seats and Shiv Sena bagged 56 seats. The combined seat strength of the two parties was 161, way past the majority mark of 145 in the 288-member Assembly.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), with 54 seats, demanded that the Shiv Sena will have to walk out of the NDA for any alliance in the state. The Congress got 44 seats in the 288-member Assembly.