Mumbai: The crucial Congress-NCP talks over
portfolio sharing in Maharashtra did not take place on Sunday,
delaying further the government formation in the state.
Congress-NCP leaders were scheduled to meet tonight at
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan`s official residence `Varsha`, but
NCP Legislature Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal said his party
members would not be going there for the talks.
MPCC president Manikrao Thakre and Mumbai unit chief
Kripashankar Singh were present at `Varsha` along with Chavan.
When contacted, Thakre said NCP leaders informed him that
they were yet to conclude their internal deliberations on the
issue of portfolio sharing.
"We will wait for them," Thakre said.
Initially the talks were to be held in Delhi, but were
later shifted to Delhi.
Earlier in the day, NCP`s chief negotiator Praful Patel
met his party chief Sharad Pawar and then went to `Varsha` to
meet Chavan`s spiritual guru Satya Sai Baba, who was present
there.
The government formation process is deadlocked as NCP
wants the 1999 formula this time, while Congress which bagged
20 more seats than the NCP, wants key portfolios of Home,
Finance, Power and Rural Development.
Bureau Report
