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| Tuesday, 19 October 2004 |
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Race for Maharashtra chief ministership hots up NEW DELHI/Mumbai, Monday (PTI) A day after winning the mandate in Maharashtra Assembly elections, alliance partners, Congress and NCP, were today locked in a tussle for Chief Ministership parties as hectic parleys began to sort out the problem. The ball was set rolling with Sharad Pawar, whose NCP has emerged as the single largest party with 71 seats, meeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi and staking his party's claim to the post. With senior Congress leaders including former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh claiming that the party, which has 69 seats, should get the top post on the basis of support of three MLAs elected on CPI(M) tickets under a seat adjustment, the tussle intensified. NCP leader and Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel had a meeting with Gandhi in the evening, while Congress leader Ahmed Patel and NCP leader D P Tripath met CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechuri separately seeking its support for their respective case. Patel later briefed Pawar on his meeting with Gandhi. Yechuri appeared to distance himself from the NCP-Congress race, saying "We are not not getting into it. We are taking a neutral view. We are supporting a secular government. Let them (Congress and NCP) sit and decide the issue." After the meeting with Gandhi, Pawar told reporters "We are ready to show our figure. Our position is good." "In all scenarios we are more," he said indicating that he was prepared for a displaying his party's strength as a single largest party, then the support of allies as also the backing of independents. He claimed that of the 16-odd independent MLAs NCP would get the support of at least a dozen. Tripathi said his party has the support of more than 80 MLAs. Pawar said the 1999 formula of conceding the chief miniostership to the single-largest party was discussed with Gandhi. When told that chief ministership could mean NCP losing "plum" portfolios as also the Assembly Speakership, he remarked "We are ready to make that sacrifice." He also ruled out his going back to the state as Chief Minister. One among elected MLAs would become the Chief Minister, he said. In Mumbai, Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh said Congress and other friendly parties have more in their kitty than NCP. He claimed the support of three CPI(M) MLAs and two independents taking its total strength to 74. Singh, Chief Ministers Sushil Kumasr Shinde and another General Secretary Margaret Alva held confabulatilons and they would be joined tomorrow by Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Gandhi is also in touch with senior leaders in Mumbai and in Delhi. Buttressing her party's claim, Alva told reporters in Mumbai that Congress had more numbers after taking into account three CPI(M) MLAs and two independents. The Congress has already sought the support of the allies. |
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