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October 15, 1999

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Cong, NCP sink differences for
the sake of a 'stable alternative'

For the first time after counting ended in Maharashtra last week, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party today spoke in one voice. After days of haggling over the chief minister's post and some key portfolios, top leaders of both the parties agreed that ''most of the problems had been sorted out.''

This reconciliation clearly had less to do with the several rounds of talks the two parties had with each other and more with Governor P C Alexander's ultimatum that the party desirous of forming the government must submit a list of its MLAs by tomorrow afternoon.

The governor today held two separate meetings with the Sena-BJP combine and the Congress at Raj Bhavan where he told them that he had time only till October 18 to scrutinise claims of government formation. After that he may have to initiate the process of imposition of President's Rule in the state. The new assembly must come into being before October 22.

Within hours of the twin meetings, contours of a new government had begun emerging.

Speaking at a press conference in the evening, Sharad Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party president, said his party had by and large agreed to the power-sharing formula offered by the Congress. However, he added, that there were minor differences which need to be looked into.

Congress state unit president Prataprao Bhosale had used more or less the same language in the morning when he spoke to reporters after his meeting with the governor. He had said that the differences over sharing of portfolios had been ironed out and that an offer letter had been sent to the NCP.

Pawar confirmed that his party had received the letter, studied its contents and sent a reply. "The state needs a stable government and we do not mind joining hands with the Congress party to achieve this. But they should accept our demands mentioned in our reply to their offer letter."

Pawar, however, refused to elaborate what these demands were and said his party was willing to sit in the opposition if these demands were not met.

The former defence minister also clarified that his party would, under no circumstances, join hands with the Sena-BJP in the state.

Asked whether Vilasrao Deshmukh (his bete noir) would be acceptable to him as the new chief minister, he said: "We don't mind any person to be the chief minister of Maharashtra. It is up to the Congress party to decide about their chief ministerial candidate. We have agreed that the new chief minister is going to be their candidate."

When a reporter pointed out that the NCP general secretary, P A Sangma, had time and again said that joining hands with the Congress in Maharashtra would be a mistake, Pawar said: "I have spoken to Sangma about this issue and explained to him the ground realities. He now appreciates our position."

ALSO SEE:
Narayan Rane stakes claim to form government

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