‘Sena, NCP, Cong govt in Maha by Dec’

We have finalised all major issues, says Prithiviraj Chavan

The Maharashtra deadlock is likely to conclude with the formation of a government comprising the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress in the last week of November or the first week of December, a source told The Asian Age.

After Congress president Sonia Gandhi gave her go-ahead for forming post-poll alliance with Shiv Sena, leaders of the Congress and NCP held a six-hour long meeting at Sharad Pawar’s New Delhi residence on Wednesday evening to finalise the common minimum programme.

Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who participated in the meeting, said, “We have had a positive discussion regarding the government formation in Maharashtra. The final decision will be announced on Friday.”

“We were also in constant touch with Sena leadership in Mumbai. We have made a lot of progress. Tomorrow we will meet at 10 am and again at 1 pm and then we

will return to Mumbai, where we will hold discussions with Sena leadership. We have finalised all important issues. Few minor points remain now,” Mr Chavan added.

The government formation, however, may take place only after Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray meets Mrs Gandhi.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik confirmed that all three parties will join the government. “It is clear that the government cannot be formed unless all three parties come together,” he said.

Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, who was also in Delhi and monitored the Congress-NCP meeting on television, confirmed that the government will be formed at the earliest and the CM will be from Shiv Sena.

When asked about who will be the CM, Mr Raut said, “People of Maharashtra want Uddhav Thackeray to lead the government. The Congress and NCP’s sentiment is also the same.”