With new name, Sena-NCP-Congress alliance enters final phase of talks; Uddhav Thackeray visits Sharad Pawar

The path for Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to take over as next Maharashtra Chief Minister seems to be clear with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress completing the negotiations on all issues for a proposed coalition government. 

After a series of meetings between NCP and Congress leaders during the day, Shiv Sena leaders Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his residence late at night.

The meeting is said to have last for an hour. 

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leaders Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut leave from NCP leader Sharad Pawar's residence after a meeting. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/le7mgu496Z

— ANI (@ANI) November 21, 2019

Earlier on Thursday, senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said the Congress and NCP have completed negotiations on all issues and there is complete unanimity between the two parties over government formation in Maharashtra.

Chavan said that Shiv Sena leaders have been informed about all discussions.

"Congress and NCP have completed discussions on all issues. There is complete unanimity. Tomorrow in Mumbai, we will have a meeting with our other alliance parties. Later in the day, we will have a discussion with Shiv Sena," ANI quoted Chavan as saying.

A final decision on the architecture of alliance for government formation in the state will be taken on Friday, he added. 

A meeting of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena is scheduled for Friday. Before the Congress legislative party meeting will be held where a leader is to be elected. 

"A decision will be taken on Friday on the architecture of alliance for Maharashtra government formation. When we announce the Common Minimum Programme, the power-sharing formula will be disclosed," the former chief minister said. 

His remarks came after the meeting of the Congress Working Committee in Delhi which the sources said gave its in-principle approval to a coalition government.

The meeting was called by Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi to discuss the proposed alliance. 

NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena have also come up with the name for their proposed alliance in Maharashtra. Sources said the new alliance will be called 'Maha Vikas Aghadi'. 

Sena-NCP-Congress deal

According to the deal agreed upon between the leaders of the three parties, Uddhav Thackeray will be the chief minister for 5 years while two deputy chief ministers - one each from NCP and Congress - will serve alongside him. 

While the NCP has been pushing for Uddhav Thackeray to take the reins and even some Sena leaders expressed the same sentiment, the party is yet to make a formal announcement on this.

Sources said Ajit Pawar of the NCP and Balasaheb Thorat of the Congress are likely to become deputy CMs.

The three parties have also agreed upon a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) to run a coalition government, discussed and finalised over the week. Sources said there will be no compromise on the CMP.

Probable ministers 

The three parties are likely to share ministerial berths according to their strength in the assembly. Accordingly, 15-15-13 formula is being charted out between Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, respectively. 

The council of ministers Maharashtra can have 43 members. The allocation of portfolios to each party still needs to be finalised.

Shiv Sena ministers

Uddhav Thackeray (CM), Aaditya Thackeray, Eknath Shinde, Subhash Desai, Ramdas Kadam, Abdul Sattar, Gulabrao Patil, Arjun Khotkar, Deepak Kesarkar, Sanjay Rathore, Ravindra Waikar, Bhaskar Jadhav, Dada Bhuse, Sunil Prabhu

NCP ministers

Ajit Pawar (deputy CM), Dilip Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dhananjay Munde, Jitendra Ahwad, Hasan Mushrif, Anil Deshmukh, Nawab Malik, Rohit Pawar

Congress ministers

Balasaheb Thorat (Dy CM), Ashok Chavan, Yashomati Thakur, Vijay Wadettiwar, Vishwajit Kadam, Amit Deshmukh, Manikrao Thakre, Nasim Khan, Varsha Gaekwad

Assembly Speaker

Prithviraj Chavan