New Delhi: The impasse over formation of government in Maharashtra seems to coming to an end. NCP chief Sharad Pawar is also set to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi in the national capital with a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) on Sunday.
The Congress, the NCP and the Shiv Sena had agreed ‘in principle’ to form the government in the state after the pre-poll alliance of the BJP and the Shiv Sena broke up.
Insiders claim that most of the contentious issues have been sorted out and final touches are being given to the CMP.
Sunday’s meeting will put a stamp of approval of the Congress too and will pave way for staking claim to form the government with support letters of all the three parties.
Sources say that there is no difference of opinion amongst the three over the post of Chief Minister, which is ostensibly going to Shiv Sena.
As part of the understanding, the Congress will reportedly get the Speaker’s post while the Deputy Chief Minister will be a NCP legislator.
The division of portfolios is almost final with no major hitch coming during the talks. The only bone of contention was that Shiv Sena, a vocal ultra right party, would have to tone down and swear by ‘coalition dharma’ as agreed upon in the Common Minimum Programme.
On its part, the Sena has insisted that the Congress and the NCP will refrain from ‘minority appeasement’. The proposed government will majorly concentrate on governance and leave aside issues like Veer Savarkar or Nathuram Godse.
The Shiv Sena had reached out to the Congress seeking its support. Responding to the call, the Congress sent a three member delegation to Mumbai to first speak with its pre-poll ally, the NCP. After meeting the NCP, Congress President’s aide Ahmed Patel, who was also the part of the delegation that had met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Following preliminary talks, all the three parties deputed members to work on the CMP so as to iron out the rough edges.
