New Delhi, October 19
No breakthrough could be achieved for the third day today in talks between alliance partners-Congress and NCP-on the issue of next Maharashtra Chief Minister with both parties sticking to their positions and claiming the top post on the basis of their “role” in the electoral victory.
While the NCP leaders continued to insist that the top post should go to their party as it had emerged the single largest party in the poll, the Congress reminded its alliance partner of the pre-verdict statements of NCP chief Sharad Pawar where he had conceded that the Congress was the major partner in the alliance and “would lead the next government.”
Sources said since there was no change in the stand of both parties, it was decided to postpone the second round of talks scheduled for today. However, AICC General Secretary Margaret Alva told the media that today’s talks were postponed as NCP chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar was “very tired” after daylong meetings of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
The sources said a breakthrough was unlikely in the next few days. Senior Congress leaders, including Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, were leaving for their homes to take part in Dasehra festivities.
Congress leaders maintained that the Maharashtra election was fought in an alliance and people expected the return of a Congress-led
government in the state. They said the Congress was leading the coalition government at the Centre and all its top leaders, including party President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had campaigned in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who today submitted his resignation to the state Governor, arrived in the Capital later for consultations with the party’s central leadership.
