Congress gets NCP to back off a bit

In a first step towards breaking the deadlock over ministry formation and power sharing, the leadership of the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) signalled moves towards a compromise on Wednesday. Although details were lacking, insiders indicated that cabinet seats would be shared in the ratio 22:20 in the Congress’s favour.

However, portfolios will be swapped in three or four crucial departments. In 2004, the NCP got more ministries, 24 to the Congress’s 18, as it had won more seats and had moreover conceded the chief ministership to the Congress.

The talks in Delhi were held at two levels. While union defence minister AK Antony, who is also the Congress general secretary in charge of Maharashtra affairs, met with NCP president and union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, another meeting was held between two Patels — union civil aviation minister and NCP trouble-shooter Praful Patel and Sonia Gandhi’s political advisor Ahmed Patel.

Said Congress spokesperson Kanhaiyalal Gidwani: “Keeping in mind the public mandate for a Congress-NCP government, both sides are ready for an amicable solution. The process of talks has begun and things will be cordially resolved.”

Till late on Wednesday night, both sides indulged in shadow-boxing to drive a hard bargain. 

Pawar created a flutter when he invited Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to his Delhi home. Raut denied any political purpose behind the meeting. “I had some personal work and we did not discuss politics,” he said. Highly placed sources in the BJP dismissed the Raut-Pawar meeting as a typical Pawar gambit to pressure the Congress to compromise on its hardline positions.

A senior All India Congress Committee functionary told DNA: “In 2004, the NCP had 24 ministers and the Congress 18. We are confident of making the NCP give up four ministries to bring their tally down to 20 this time.” In terms of swapping of portfolios, he said the Congress negotiators had proposed to take the energy, public works and rural development portfolios. “We know the NCP is unwilling to relinquish home.”

Chief minister Ashok Chavan is, however, keen that home should be with the Congress.
Setting the stage for some give and take, deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal said: “I have no problems if my party divests me of the public works department. I am willing to accept the ministry of food and civil supplies or any other department.”

The sources, however, cautioned that a formal decision on an exchange of portfolios has not been taken as yet. It has been agreed that some changes would take place to weed out non-performers in both parties.

A senior cabinet minister said, “ We have already decided to return the ministry of forest, environment and labour. That apart we are willing to swap energy and rural development.”