Sena, NCP, Cong hold talks; Pawar likely to meet Sonia

Mumbai: Leaders of the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena met here on Thursday to work out a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) before finalising a possible alliance for government formation in Maharashtra.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are likely to meet in Delhi on November 17, sources said.

Draft CMP would be discussed in the meeting between Gandhi and Pawar, the source added.

"Leaders of the allies Congress-NCP and the Sena held a meeting to work out consensus on common agenda of governance which will be called the Common Minimum Programme," a senior Congress leader said.

The CMP draft will need approval by top leaders of the three parties before it is finalised, he added.

Leaders of the NCP, Congress and Sena came together for the first time to hold talks on Thursday after the Sena sought the support of two parties — its traditional adversaries — for government formation after falling out with the BJP.

The meeting was attended by Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and party's chief spokesperson Nawab Malik, Congress leaders Prithviraj Chavan, Manikrao Thakare and Vijay Wadettiwar and Shiv Sena leaders Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai.

Unlike the frenzy and buzz during the last few days, the political parleys on Thursday were held away from media glare.

The Shiv Sena, meanwhile, kept up its attacks on estranged ally BJP.

Sena mouthpiece Saamana in its editorial on Thursday alleged that imposition of the President's rule in Maharashtra was a "scripted act".

Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was shedding "crocodile tears" over the imposition of the President's rule as power is indirectly in the hands of the BJP, it said.

Sena MP Sanjay Raut said had BJP president Amit Shah informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi "in time" about the "50:50" seat-sharing formula decided on by leaders of the two parties, the current impasse would have been avoided.