‘CM to be from Shiv Sena, Maha govt by end of month’

NEW DELHI: The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) agreed on Wednesday in principle to form a stable government in Maharashtra led by a Shiv Sena chief minister, and a “big announcement” is likely to be made on Friday after leaders from the three parties hold their first joint discussions.

“We discussed all aspects related to government formation. Consultations will continue. But certainly, no stable government in Maharashtra can be formed without the three parties coming together,” NCP’S Nawab Malik told reporters after a nearly three-hour-long meeting between leaders of the two alliance partners in New Delhi.

“In principle, the three parties — Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress — have decided to join hands to form a stable coalition government, which will last its full fiveyear term,” added Malik.

Maharashtra has been in a political vacuum since coming under President’s Rule on

November 12 after the October 21 assembly elections produced a hung House in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party with 105 seats. The Shiv Sena won 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44 seats.

The BJP and Shiv Sena, which fought the elections in an alliance, failed to come to an agreement on government formation after the latter demanded an equal sharing of power, including rotational chief ministership, causing the allies to part ways.

“The fact is that we have defeated the self-proclaimed Chanakya of Indian politics,” Malik said, taking a jibe at BJP chief and Union home minister Amit Shah.

Leaders from both the Congress and the NCP are hopeful that a new government in Maharashtra will be formed before the first phase of assembly elections in Jharkhand on November 30.

“We will be able to give (Maharashtra) a stable government as soon as possible,” former chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan told reporters.