Impasse ends, Maharashtra, Haryana cabinets to be sworn in tomorrow

The stalemate over government formation in Maharashtra and cabinet expansion in Haryana will finally end when the Congress-NCP alliance government headed by Ashok Chavan and Council of Ministers of the Hooda government take their oath of office tomorrow in their respective states tomorrow.

Maharashtra Governor S C Jamir today invited Chief Minister designate Ashok Chavan to form a government after the latter called upon him and staked the claim stating that he had the support of 170 members of the 288-member new State Assembly after the October 13 elections. The Governor will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the new Congress-NCP alliance government at the Raj Bhavan at 1730 hrs tomorrow, extending the decade-old partnership in office for another five years. The Congress-NCP alliance formed the government in 1999 and was voted back to power in 2004.

According to a Raj Bhawan communique tonight, the Governor noted that Mr Chavan has the support of 170 elected members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and also accepted Mr Chavan's recommendation for Mr Bhujbal's appointment as the Deputy Chief Minister in the council of Ministers.

Mr Chavan, who was in New Delhi to finalise the berth sharing formula after a fortnight-long hard bargaining, arrived this evening and drove to the Raj Bhavan to stake claim. He was accompanied by NCP leader and deputy Chief Minsiter designate Chhagan Bhujbal.

According to the agreement arrived at by both the parties, the Congress would have 23 berths in the ministry, including Chief Minister, while the NCP 20.

Even in the past two occasions in 1999 and 2004, the alliance formed a ministry after two weeks of intense deliberations on berth sharing.

Mr Chavan after meeting the governor told newsmen that the Congress ministers would be sworn-in in two instalments. He said the list of ministers would be known tomorrow. He said besides the 82 members of the congress and 62 members of the NCP, the alliance had the support of 26 independents, who included winning rebel candidates from both the Congress and the NCP. He said a decision on the Speaker's post was yet to taken Mr Chavan was accompanied by 13 independent members and Parliamentary affairs minister in the outgoing ministry, Harshwardhan Patil.

Earlier in the day, Mr Chavan met Congress president Sonia Gandhi. A K Antony, who is in-charge of Maharashtra party affairs and Ahmed Patel, political advisor to Ms Gandhi, were also present.

Last evening too, the same leaders had a round of discussions on the portfolio allocation.

The delay was also caused by a initial hiccup in the NCP camp with senior leader and water conservation minister Ajit Pawar reportedly raising a banner of revolt following re-election of Mr Bhujbal as the leader of the NCP and deputy chief minister. The Shiv Sena, attempting to swim in troubled waters of NCP-Congress, had offered to join hands with Pawar extending the Pune Municipal Corporation alliance. However, Mr Pawar ruled out any defiance and abided by the party's decision. The Congress failed to wrest the home, energy and finance from the NCP as the latter was not keen in parting with them, despite finishing 20 seats below the Congress. There will not be much change in the list of ministers of NCP.

However, Mr R R Patil, is expected to make a comeback as home minister.

Congress is expected to induct around 15 ministers in the first round, while remaining will be accommodated later.

-- (UNI) -- 06DR107.xml

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