Cong, NCP Reach Power Sharing Formula, Govt to Be Sworn-in Tomorrow
With almost a fortnight gone following declaration of Assembly elections results in Maharashtra over sharing ministerial berths, the Congress has finally agreed to a compromise formula paving the way for installation of government, which will take oath on Friday evening in Mumbai.
Reports suggest that due to disagreement between state units of the NCP and the Congress, the final agreement was reached between NCP leader and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel in New Delhi.
According to the formula, NCP will get 20 ministries and give 23 to the Congress. However, it will retain the key portfolios of Home and Finance. In the last two tenures, both the parties shared equal Cabinet berths.
“We were making a point that since we have 20 more MLAs than the NCP, naturally we should have more Cabinet berths.
The NCP, on the other hand, was insisting on the older formula of parity in berth allotments. Anyway, matters have been sorted out, and the government will be sworn in tomorrow,” a senior Congress leader said.
The Congress had secured 82 and the NCP 62 MLAs in the recentlyconcluded Assembly elections.
