Vadodara: NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) president and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today (Oct 31, 2004) said there was no bargain over giving up the post of Maharashtra Chief Minister to the Congress.

"We have acted in the larger interest of Maharashtra, coalition politics and to end the 12-day deadlock over the Chief Minister's issue," Pawar, who was in Anand, the milk capital of India, for the foundation day of AMUL, said.

"There is no question of any climb down by NCP and we have not bargained for the post of two deputy CMs in line of the Chief Ministership," Pawar told sources after attending the AMUL function at Anand, about 60 km from here.

"A deal was struck between the two parties with Congress getting the Chief Ministership and NCP settling for three more ministerial berths - two of cabinet rank and one minister of State - along with two portfolios from the Congress", the Maratha strongman said.

When asked if he had demanded removal of the outgoing Chief Minister Sushi Kumar Shinde from the post before finalising the deal, he replied, "it is the internal matter of the Congress party and it was up to them to decide the Chief Ministerial candidate."

Representative of the RPI (Republican Party of India) would also be included in the cabinet as the party was part of the NCP-Congress pre-poll alliance, Pawar said.

Refusing to comment if the Marathwada lobby is getting stronger in the party, the NCP chief said, "There is internal democracy in our party and the leader of the legislature party was elected through secret voting."