An unlikely Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress combo may form government in Maharashtra this weekend, sources said today after reports that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had been persuaded to collaborate with the ideologically opposite Sena. The Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut said letters of support from the MLAs of all three parties will be handed over to the Governor on Saturday. The Congress said it was in total unanimity with the NCP and would have talks with the Sena in Mumbai tomorrow. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP's Sharad Pawar are likely to join the meeting for discussions on power sharing.
The three parties have decided "in principle" to get together but two sticking points remain. The Shiv Sena is not in favour of rotational chief ministership, as the NCP wants. And the Sena, a pro-Hindutva party, is not amenable to including the term "secular" in the common minimum agenda, which the Congress wants."The Congress and NCP have completed discussions on all issues. We are in complete unanimity with the NCP," said Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, declaring that he and some Congress leaders would travel to Mumbai tomorrow for final talks with the Sena.
Yesterday, the Congress said it is in talks to form a "stable government soon" in Maharashtra but indicated that kinks remain in a possible Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. "Some aspects of the alliance" were still to be discussed, said senior Congress leaders after a meeting with the NCP at its chief Sharad Pawar's home.The Sena has been desperately waiting for the NCP and Congress to make up their mind after ending its alliance with the BJP, a partner for over three decades, over a power tussle. The Sena insisted on rotational chief ministership and an equal share in ministries, which the BJP rejected.
The three parties have decided "in principle" to get together but two sticking points remain. The Shiv Sena is not in favour of rotational chief ministership, as the NCP wants. And the Sena, a pro-Hindutva party, is not amenable to including the term "secular" in the common minimum agenda, which the Congress wants."The Congress and NCP have completed discussions on all issues. We are in complete unanimity with the NCP," said Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, declaring that he and some Congress leaders would travel to Mumbai tomorrow for final talks with the Sena.
Yesterday, the Congress said it is in talks to form a "stable government soon" in Maharashtra but indicated that kinks remain in a possible Sena-NCP-Congress alliance. "Some aspects of the alliance" were still to be discussed, said senior Congress leaders after a meeting with the NCP at its chief Sharad Pawar's home.The Sena has been desperately waiting for the NCP and Congress to make up their mind after ending its alliance with the BJP, a partner for over three decades, over a power tussle. The Sena insisted on rotational chief ministership and an equal share in ministries, which the BJP rejected.
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