NCP, Cong will resolve issues in a day or two: Patel

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Mumbai: A day after the term of the outgoing Assembly in Maharashtra expired, the Congress and NCP on Wednesday held fresh discussions to sort out the vexed issue of portfolio-sharing and break the deadlock over government formation.

Hectic parleys were on between the two parties to reach a consensus over sharing of portfolios, as each party has staked claim to some portfolios which the other doesn’t want to part with.

While the Congress wants more portfolios as it has got 20 seats more than the NCP, the latter has announced that it would prefer the 1999 formula for allocation of ministries.

The Congress won 82 seats in the elections while Sharad Pawar’s NCP bagged 62 as against 69 and 71 respectively in the last election.

The Congress also rejected the NCP’s proposal of providing outside support and said the onus of providing a stable government was on both the parties which had a pre-poll alliance.

“There is no question of staking claim to form the next government alone. We do not want to do so by making our ally unhappy. Discussions are still on and both parties will reach an amicable solution,” Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Manikrao Thakre told reporters here.

He said the NCP should take into consideration “realities of the changed political scenario” and keep a positive attitude.

Meanwhile, Union minister and NCP leader Praful Patel said he was hopeful that the NCP and the Congress would resolve their differences over portfolio allocation “in a day or two”. At a function to lay the foundation of the International Football Academy in Banglore, Patel said he was hopeful that the impasse over formation of the new government would come to an end in a day or two after “amicably” settling all issues.

“We are hoping for a win-win situation for both the parties,” he said.

BJP-Shiv Sena demand President’s rule

The Opposition BJP-Shiv Sena combine in Maharashtra on Wednesday met governor SC Jamir and sought imposition of President’s rule in case a government is not sworn in within the next 24 hours.

“We told the governor that even 13 days after the Assembly poll results, there is no sign of a government being sworn in.

The ruling alliance partners are haggling over plum portfolios,” Sena leader Subhash Desai told reporters at Raj Bhawan.