Bhujbal retained as Dy CM, NCP wants to keep key portfolios

Opting for status quo, Congresss ally NCP today named Chhagan Bhujbal for the post of Deputy Chief Minister in Maharashtra and ruled out yielding key portfolios like Home and Finance to the senior coalition partner.

Both Bhujbal(62) and party leader Praful Patel, who announced the name of the prominent OBC leader to head the NCP Legislature Party, insisted that a 1999 formula under which it got Home, Finance and Power be the basis for portfolio allocation which is expected to be a ticklish issue.

The NCP's stand was outlined in the wake of a section of the Congress reportedly keen on securing these key portfolios to reflect the party's increased strength in the Assembly.

For the record, Bhujbal said the NCP has not received any official proposal from the Congress for portfolio allocation but said NCP would demand implementation of the formula in 1999 when the two parties formed a coalition government. Patel said the decision to continue with Bhujbal was "unanimous". It will the third term as deputy CM for Bhujbal who has come a long way from being a rabble-rouser in his Shiv Sena days.

Talks on portfolio distribution between Congress and NCP will be held in New Delhi, Patel said.

Congress won 82 seats and NCP bagged 62 as against 68 and 71 respectively in 2004. In the outgoing government, NCP had 24 ministers while 19 were from the Congress.

Patel made the announcement on Bhujbal after a meeting of the NCP legislature party here which had authorised NCP chief Sharad Pawar to decide on the new leader.

Water resources minister Ajit Pawar, a nephew of Sharad Pawar and who was one of the front-runners for the post, was among those who seconded the resolution, authorising the NCP supremo to name the leader of the Legislature Party. Bhujbal said he had the backing of Ajit.