NCP, Cong meet to resolve portfolio sharing

A day after the term of the outgoing Assembly in Maharashtra expired, Congress and NCP today held fresh discussions to sort out the vexed issue of portfolio sharing and break the deadlock over government formation.

Hectic parleys were on between the two parties to reach a consensus over sharing of portfolios, as each party has stake claim to some portfolios which the other doesn't want to part with.

"An agreement between Congress and NCP on allocation of portfolios is likely to be finalised by evening," NCP sources told PTI.

The swearing of the new ministry is likely any time as per 'muhurat', the sources said.

The result of elections to the 288 member Maharashtra assembly was declared on October 22 but the new ministry is yet to be sworn in owing to differences between the two parties on portfolio allocation.

While Congress wants more portfolios as it has got 20 seats more than NCP, the latter has announced that it would prefer the 1999 formula for allocation of ministry.

Congress won 82 seats in the elections while Sharad Pawar's NCP bagged 62 as against 69 and 71 respectively in the last election.

Governor S C Jamir called caretaker Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal separately for talks yesterday to discuss the issue of delay in government formation.