Maha govt formation: Cong, NCP agree to give CM post to Shiv Sena
Both parties have formed a ten-member team of leaders from both sides to discuss CMP
New Delhi: The impasse over government formation in Maharashtra may end soon as NCP and Congress have come closer to finalization of their formula to support Shiv Sena in government formation in Maharashtra.
According to party insiders, both the parties have agreed to give chief minister post to Shiv Sena, while the post of deputy CM would hold by either NCP or Congress.
During a series of meetings with the leaders of NCP and Congress, it has also been decided to prepare a common minimum programme (CMP) which would be followed by all the parties till the completion of the tenure.
While taking a first step towards government formation in Maharashtra, the NCP and Congress on Wednesday have formed a ten-member team of leaders from both the parties to discuss CMP.
Senior leaders of the two parties reiterated that the first round of discussions would only include members of Congress and NCP and talks with Shiv Sena will be held after the leaders of two parties reach a consensus on CMP.
"As far as discussion on Shiv Sena goes, we will do that only after discussing with alliance partners as we had a common manifesto. Shiv Sena's manifesto was different, so we will have an understanding with Congress first and then go ahead with discussions on Shiv Sena," said Ajit Pawar, the senior leader of NCP.
The leaders who have been nominated by Congress for the team are Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, Manikrao Thakre, Balasaheb Thorat and Vijay Wadettiwar and leaders from NCP in the committee are Jayant Patil, Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde and Nawab Malik.
Sources privy to the developments said that the effort would be to have a complete agreement between Sena and NCP-Congress on every issue of their coming together. It would deal with share of ministerial berths, inking a CMP which would aim at making Sena shed some of its traditional 'Hindutva-Maharashtra planks' which has been in conflict with the NCP-Congress' 'social thrust'.
Maharashtra was brought under President's rule on Tuesday after all the major parties failed to get the required number in the assembly. The state polls of Maharashtra concluded on October 24 in which BP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena got 56, NCP won 54 and Congress could only manage 44 seats in the 288-member assembly.
Members of NCP and Congress said that Jayant Patil met Balasaheb Thorat, president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) for further discussions and the two leaders would also finalise the dates for holding joint discussion.
Earlier in the day, all the 54 MLAs of NCP met and demanded that the government in the state should be finalised at the earliest. "In the meeting all our MLAs said that government should be formed as early as possible. Even I think before the New Year begins, Maharashtra should get a new government," Pawar said.
