Sena, Cong-NCP focus on common minimum programme

Mumbai: A day after President’s rule was imposed in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP leaders held hectic parleys to work out a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) for government formation. Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray met Maharashtra Congress leaders for over an hour in the morning.
The talks for government formation were progressing in the “right direction”, he said after the meeting. State Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat dubbed the meeting with Thackeray as a “courtesy call”, and added the fact that they were meeting was itself a “positive” step.
Thackeray held talks with Thorat, former chief minister Ashok Chavan and another senior Congress leader, Manikrao Thakare, at a suburban hotel.
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP, meanwhile appointed a five- member panel, which will be part of a joint committee to be formed with the Congress for deciding the CMP before the possible alliance with the Sena is finalised.
NCP’s panel comprises Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, Nawab Malik and Dhananjay Munde. Patil, state NCP chief, told reporters after meeting Sharad Pawar that power sharing formula was not being discussed as yet.
“We have not set any conditions before the Shiv Sena. Right now, we are working on agenda for governance. Arvind Sawant has quit the Narendra Modi government and we believe through this step, the Sena has officially pulled out of the BJP-led NDA,” he said.
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said the talks of government formation will start only after top leaders of the three parties approve the CMP. (PTI)