Cong-NCP to back Sena; govt likely by month-end

Congress and Natio-nalist Congress Party (NCP) have agreed in principle to form the next government in Maharashtra under a Shiv Sena chief minister.

Congress and Natio-nalist Congress Party (NCP) have agreed in principle to form the next government in Maharashtra under a Shiv Sena chief minister.

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“We are sure that there will be a stable and pro-people government in Maharashtra soon,” senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said on Wednesday, after a five-hour-long meeting of Congress and NCP leaders in New Delhi. “There will be meetings between Congress and NCP on Thursday in New Delhi. The meetings between three parties, including Shiv Sena, will be held on Friday in Mumbai. We will announce our power-sharing formula on Friday.”

Significantly, this is the first time Congress has clearly indicated a three-party government will be formed in Maharashtra.

NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said they discussed all aspects related to government formation. “Consultations will continue. But certainly, no stable government in Maharashtra can be formed without the three parties coming together,” Malik said. “In principle, the three parties – Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – have decided to join hands to form a stable coalition government, which will last its full five-year term.”

According to party leaders involved in the deliberations, Maharashtra is likely to get a new government by the end of this month. The new coalition may stake the claim for form the government in next few days, said the leaders.

Senior Congress leader and former law minister Ashwani Kumar held a meeting with Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday to discuss the legal aspects of staking claim since Maharashtra is currently under President’s rule. Before the marathon meeting between Congress and NCP on Wednesday, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi reportedly gave her nod to form the government led by Sena. Central Congress leaders along with leaders from the state met Gandhi for more than half-an-hour before the meeting with NCP leaders. Besides the formal nod to form the government, Gandhi reportedly also gave her in-principle approval to the power-sharing plan and CMP draft prepared between the three parties.

Raut said talks will conclude in the next four-five days. “The government will be led by a chief minister from Shiv Sena and he will soon take oath at Shivaji Park. We will hold talks with leaders from Congress and NCP after meetings between them are concluded,” said Raut, adding that Maharashtra will have a new government by the first week of December. “You will know who the CM is. Nobody can take oath in secrecy. It is the wish of Sena leaders and the people of Maharashtra that Uddhavji should lead the government,” said Raut.

The state’s top post, meanwhile, could be shared between Sena and NCP for two-and-a-half-years each. “Although the party [NCP] has demanded the chief minister’s post for half of the tenure of the government on the grounds that the difference of seats between the two parties [Shiv Sena and NCP] is just two, in case, we don’t get it, the government will have two deputy chief ministers — one of Congress and another of the NCP,” said a NCP leader, on condition of anonymity. “NCP chief Sharad Pawar is also pushing Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s name for the chief minister’s post. In that scenario, Shiv Sena may get have the top post for full five years of the coalition government.”

Another NCP leader said the party has also suggested a formula of one ministerial berth against four legislators for the three parties. Accordingly, Shiv Sena and NCP should get 15 berths, while Congress will get 12 berths. “As Shiv Sena is likely to get the chief minister’s post, its tally in the ministerial council reach 16,” said the leader.