Maharashtra Impasse Continues As Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress Meeting With Governor Postponed

Amid the political crisis in Maharashtra, the three parties had earlier maintained that the meeting was to seek immediate aid for rain-affected farmers and not about government formation

Meeting of Shiv Sena, NCP, Congress Delegation With Maharashtra Governor Postponed Till Further Notice

Mumbai: The meeting of the delegation of the three parties- NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena with the Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has been postponed till further notice as the party leaders cited logistical reasons. A delegation of all the three parties was earlier scheduled to meet the Governor at 4:30 pm on Saturday to stake claim to form government in the state. Shiv Sena legislative party leader Eknath Shinde said that leaders of all the parties as well as legislators who are in different parts of Maharashtra could not reach Mumbai for various reasons. "They are busy touring the flood-affected regions, arranging the 'panchnama' procedures and preparing their election expenditure reports and affidavits which have to be submitted to the Election Commission. Hence, today's meeting has been postponed," Shinde said in a statement. Amid the political crisis in Maharashtra, the three parties had earlier maintained that the meeting was to seek immediate aid for rain-affected farmers and not about government formation. Governor Koshyari on Saturday took stock of the damage to crops caused by unseasonal rains in October-November and announced a flood relief package for the farmers in the state, a Raj Bhavan official said. Accordingly, a relief of Rs 8,000 per hectare up to two hectares for kharif crops and an aid of Rs 18,000 per hectare up to two hectares for horticulture/perennial crops will be given. The three-party coalition is a new experiment in Maharashtra involving outfits with diverse ideologies. They are having talks for the formation of the non-BJP government in the state where the President's Rule was imposed earlier this week. They have already prepared a draft common minimum programme (CMP) for a coalition government. As per sources, the CMP has been sealed - Shiv Sena will get a full-term chief minister while Congress and NCP will get to appoint one deputy chief minister each from their ranks. The common minimum programme also mentions focus on farmer, youth issues and measures to tackle unemployment. At the joint meeting of the Sena-NCP-Congress on Thursday, the three parties had decided to call on the Governor and urge him to kickstart the dormant official machinery on priority. Though the meeting was postponed, the Raj Bhavan has already initiated relief measures for the farming community. Watch Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut's recent comment on Maharashtra political turmoil Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar will meet on Sunday to discuss the next course of action about government formation in the state, even as the BJP has claimed it has support of 119 MLAs and would form the next government.

Amid reports that a Shiv Sena-led coalition is taking shape, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who is the Congress in-charge for Maharashtra, said that his party alone cannot take decisions about government formation in the state. "Congress alone can't decide things. NCP chief Sharad Pawar and AICC president Sonia Gandhi will sit together on November 17 and discuss the next course of action. They will decide how to solve this problem. After that only the other actions will follow," Kharge told news agency ANI. He said that once they both sit and discuss, only then will the political strategy be prepared. "That will be followed and implemented," he said. The BJP, meanwhile, has claimed that it would form the government. However, the party has not disclosed how it would cobble up majority figure of 145 in the 288-member house. On the other hand, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said that BJP is the single largest party and with the support of Independents, the tally reaches 119. "With this tally, BJP will form the government," Patil said addressing a press conference.