Shiv Sena likely to adopt 'soft-Hindutva' approach in coalition government, in line with Congress-NCP's demands: Sources

According to Zee Media sources, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar will take the final call on the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) with Shiv Sena on Saturday, with Sena finally conceding into the demands of Congress-NCP to adopt a soft Hindutva approach in the draft CMP.

The CMP is a document outlining the minimum objectives of a coalition government. In the draft CMP, Congress-NCP has asked for the coalition to adopt a 'soft-Hindutva' while acknowledging the fact that the Shiv Sena will never let go of its 'staunch Hindutva' ideology completely. Therefore, issues like Uniform Civil Code, illegal Bangladeshi migrants, implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the construction of a grand memorial for Balasaheb Thackeray will remain major agendas for the Shiv Sena as part of the new coalition, along with issues like farm loan waiver, unemployment, higher MSPs to the rain-hit farmers in the state, rotational chief ministership, secularism reservation in jobs for local Marathis, and employment opportunities for the youth. Sources said that 'staunch Hindutva', which has been the basis of Shiv Sena's political ideology, has been excluded from the CMP.

Though the details of the CMP has not been made public yet, sources also said that Shiv Sena has asked for a strict stand against people coming to the state from the outside, while issues like the Uniform Civil Code are yet to be discussed among the chiefs of the three parties.

According to sources, the state portfolios will probably be allocated in the '16:14:12' ratio between NCP-Shiv Sena-Congress, with the Home Ministry likely going to the NCP, Finance and Urban Development with the Shiv Sena and the post of the Assembly Speaker to the Congress. The Deputy Speaker will likely be from the NCP.

The draft was finalised on Thursday after several rounds of discussions between the three parties over the last two days.

Earlier, while addressing media persons, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had said that the Common Minimum Programme will be in the interest of the state.

“Common minimum program is a program which is in the interest of the state and nation as well, it doesn’t interfere in international issues,” said Raut.

On reports suggesting that Shiv Sena has been asked to leave their Hindutva agenda, and drop their goal of conferring the Bharat Ratna to Savarkar, Sanjay Raut said that these reports were false, and reiterated Shiv Sena's commitment to fighting for the Hindutva ideologue.

President's Rule was imposed in the state on Thursday after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's report to Centre that no stable government was possible in Maharashtra under the current political scenario.

Shiv Sena and BJP contested the recently-held assembly elections together but failed to reach an agreement for government formation. The Shiv Sena's demand of 50-50 government formula, asking for the chief minister's post of two and half years was not accepted by the BJP.

After BJP failed to stake claim to form the government, the Shiv Sena has tried to enlist the support of NCP and Congress for an alliance government. 

Since Shiv Sena has 56 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly, way below the half-way mark of 144, it will need both the NCP's 54 and Congress' 44 legislators to reach the magic number.