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Cong loses out to NCP in portfolio bargaining
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The Congress on Friday found itself going completely on the back-foot as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) dictated terms on not only plum portfolios but also decided the numbers of cabinet berths each party should hold by dismissing the chief minister designate Ashok Chavan's formula of 23:20.
Amidst differences, the chief minister-designate Ashok Chavan and deputy chief minister-designate Chhagan Bhujbal met governor SC Jamir at Raj Bhavan on Friday evening to stake claim for government formation. They submitted a list of 170 elected members of legislature assembly (MLAs) --Congress: 82, NCP: 62 and 26 members belonging to various smaller groups like Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh, Swabhiman Party, Rashtriya Samaj Party and Bahujan Vikas Party. The swearing-in ceremony will take place on Saturday at 5.30 pm.
The flip flop on part of Chavan was evident when after meeting the governor, he said, "The Congress will induct the ministers in the cabinet in two phases. The NCP has decided to administer oath to all 20 ministers. But our numbers will be known tomorrow (Saturday)." He refused to give out the total number of Congress ministers to be inducted, thus keeping the final formula a mystery.
The NCP said: "Both the sides have accepted to induct 20 ministers each. The disagreement on three ministers will be resolved latter." Sources in the Congress revealed that they will induct 15 ministers on Friday. The remaining will be inducted later.
At the end of 16 days of political bargaining, the Congress appeared to have surrendered its electoral might to the pressure tactics of the NCP, led by Sharad Pawar. Despite the NCP's poor performance in the home ministry during the alliance's reign from 2004 to 2009 -- marred by events like the terrorist strike in Mumbai -- the Congress failed to wrest the significant department from them.
The Congress, which first demanded the home ministry and then rural development, had to settle for just the health portfolio.
After a meeting held at party president Sonia Gandhi's residence in Delhi on Friday, Chavan said, "The Congress has 23 ministers (including chief minister) and the NCP will have 20 (including deputy chief minister)." However, three hours later as he returned to Mumbai, the NCP, led by Bhujbal, challenged his claims arguing, "As per mutual agreement both the sides were to have 20 ministers each, thus leaving three ministerial posts vacant for a couple of months."
Bhujbal, accompanied by state NCP chief RR Patil and general-secretary Gurunath Kulkarni, met Chavan at his official residence Varsha asking him to retract his earlier statement on the number of ministers. Sensing an aggressive stand by the NCP, Chavan decided to buy peace. He heeded to their demand to not insist on 23:20 formula in public again.
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