NCP may seek CM post for 2.5 years

Hours after the President’s rule was imposed in the state, the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) began formal talks on Tuesday, asserting they will soon

Hours after the President’s rule was imposed in the state, the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) began formal talks on Tuesday, asserting they will soon finalise a formula to share power with the Shiv Sena-led government. The NCP is bargaining hard, demanding sharing the chief minister’s chair for two-and-a-half years with the Shiv Sena. The demand could be a major hurdle between the three parties.

HT Image

All India Congress Committee’s general secretary KC Venugopal, general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Mallikarjun Kharge and political adviser to the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi Ahmed Patel reached Mumbai in the evening. They held a meeting with NCP chief Sharad Pawar at YB Chavan Centre for more than one-and-a-half hours. “There will be a discussion on the common minimum programme and other issues first, before discussing it with the Sena,” said Patel. He also said that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Gandhi on Monday and sought the support.

The NCP has reportedly told the Shiv Sena that as the difference in the number of MLAs between them was just two and the latter was ready to share the post for half the term (with its estranged ally BJP), it should not have a problem conceding the sharing.

The leaders also discussed equal sharing of ministerial berths among three parties. The Congress is expected to demand the post of Speaker of the Assembly. “We have almost arrived at a decision to participate in the government,” said a Congress leader.

Pawar said the governor, by imposing the President’s rule, has given ample time to discussion formation of the government.

“Our thrust is clarity on programmes and policies on social and ideological issues. It is important for the smooth running of the government. Until we arrive at a consensus, it would be difficult for us to discuss formation of the government,” Pawar said in a press conference.

Congress leaders said the party leadership has agreed to support the Shiv Sena. “It was a task before us to convince the central leadership to support the Sena owing to the ideological differences between the two parties. A group of leaders from southern states was sternly against the idea. But the strong sentiments of the legislators for support and pressing need to keep the BJP out of the power helped,” said the leader.

According to leaders from the Congress and the NCP, the common minimum programme involving blanket loan waiver for farmers, reservation and welfare programme for minorities will first be chalked out between the two parties and then put before the Sena for approval.

“We will also need time to convince people of their change in the stance from ‘mandate to sit in the opposition’ to participation in the government. There will be rounds of meetings among the three parties over the next few days,” the leader said.

On Monday, the NCP and Congress did not hand over their letters of support to the Shiv Sena, as Pawar and Gandhi agreed upon the need for more discussion on certain issues. This left Shiv Sena red-faced as its leaders kept waiting for more than 40 minutes at Raj Bhavan for the letters.

NCP leaders blamed the lack of communication from the Shiv Sena. According to the leader, the Shiv Sena was clearly told the parties will need more clarity on certain issues, before extending support.