Nagpur: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar asserted on Friday that the proposed Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government will be formed in Maharashtra soon and serve its full five-year term.
While speaking to media persons, he dismissed the possibility of holding mid-term elections in the state, which is now under President's Rule.
"The three parties sincerely want to form a stable and sustaining government with emphasis on development and progress in the state on a Common Minimum Programme (CMP)," Pawar said.
He added that presently, the three parties are finalising their CMP with a series of discussions and the final roadmap would emerge only after that.
Pawar denied reports that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was having discussions with the NCP to form the government or there were pressure from some corporate houses in the matter.
"We are only discussing with the Congress, Sena and our other allies. Nothing beyond. Representatives of all the three parties have met in Mumbai to finalise the draft CMP," Pawar said.
To question on former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' comments that the upcoming Sena-NCP-Congress government would collapse after six months, Pawar was amused.
"I have known Fadnavis since many years. But I never knew he was also an astrologer," Pawar remarked amid laughter.
To a question on whether the Sena would be willing to compromise on its Hindutva credentials vis-a-vis the Congress-NCP's secular ideals, Pawar said that the Congress-NCP always speak of secularism, "that doesn't mean we are against anybody else".
On the power-sharing formula and who will hold the CM's post, Pawar said everything will fall into place once the CMP is finalised and accepted by all the parties.
Sources say that among the formula being discussed include the Sena getting the CM's post for full five years, the Congress-NCP getting one Deputy CM, portfolios in the ratio of Sena and NCP 14 each, and Congress 12 plus the post of Legislative Assembly Speaker.
On Sunday, Pawar is likely to meet Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi and brief her on the deliberations with the Sena here and the further course of action.
Earlier in the day, the NCP announced that the chief minister of the proposed coalition government would be from the Shiv Sena.
Speaking to mediapersons, NCP leader Nawab Malik declared, "Certainly, the chief minister will be from the Shiv Sena". Noting that the Shiv Sena and BJP had fallen out over the issue of sharing of the chief minister's post, Malik said the Shiv Sena had been aggrieved with the BJP's stance and said the NCP "respected" the Shiv Sena's pride. “We will ensure that Shiv Sena get back their respect,” Malik declared.
It had been previously speculated the NCP was keen on a "rotational" arrangement for the chief minister's post as it has 54 seats in the Assembly, just two less than the Shiv Sena.
The Congress, which has 44 seats, had indicated it was not interested in the chief minister's post.
