Prasad Patil
Mumbai, Nov. 6: Chief minister Ashok Chavan and Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday met Maharashtra governor S.C. Jamir and staked their claim to form the next government. Mr Chavan and Mr Bhujbal are set to continue as the CM and deputy CM respectively in the new government.
According to sources, the Congress-NCP leaders submitted a letter staking claim with the support of 170 of a total 288 members of the Legislative Assembly. The Congress (82 MLAs) and the NCP (62 MLAs) seemed to have garnered support from 26 other MLAs from smaller parties and Independents. The swearing-in will take place at 5.30 pm Saturday.
Sources from the Congress said the parties have agreed on a formula according to which the Congress will have 23 portfolios, including the CM’s post, while the NCP will have 20 portfolios. All NCP ministers will take the oath on Saturday while the Congress’ ministers will take the oath of office in two batches with 18 ministers being sworn in on Saturday.
There won’t be any major surprises in the new Cabinet. Senior ministers, including Narayan Rane, Patangrao Kadam, Harshwardhan Patil, Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil, Balasaheb Thorat, Sunil Tatkare, Dilip Valse-Patil, Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil, are expected to retain their places in the Cabinet. Most of them are likely to retain their portfolios as well.
Former deputy chief minister R.R. Patil could make a comeback to government but may not get the state home ministry. There could also be seven to eight new faces in the Cabinet. The children of politicians — Rajendra Shekhawat, Amit Deshmukh, Praniti Shinde and Varsha Gaikwad — could find a place in the new government as "representatives of the young generation". However, top AICC sources in New Delhi said it was unlikely that the sons and daughters of politicians would find a place in the Cabinet in the first batch to be sworn in.
In the previous government, the NCP held 24 portfolios and the Congress only 19 portfolios. Though the NCP has reduced its share, in reality it is the Congress that had to compromise on its initial stand.
Government formation was delayed for two weeks as the Congress wanted 24 portfolios, including home, finance and energy, but the NCP was not ready to accept less than 21 portfolios. Moreover, the NCP also wanted to keep the home, energy and finance ministries. NCP sources said the party would retain the three key portfolios of home, energy and finance in the new formula.
However, chief minister Ashok Chavan denied the Congress had gone onto the backfoot during portfolio negotiations. The NCP wanted the alliance to stick to the 1999 formula. It only got one portfolio less than the 1999 formula and managed to keep all plum portfolios. However, Mr Chavan said the alliance has not agreed on the 1999 formula. "We have agreed on a new 2009 formula," he said.
