Sharad Pawar arrives in Mumbai, to discuss portfolio sharing

After a round of Congress-NCP talks in Delhi over portfolio sharing in Maharashtra, Union Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar reached here today and met senior party leaders on the issue.

Apart from his nephew Ajit, NCP Legislature party leader Chhagan Bhujbal and state unit chief R R Patil, Union Minister Praful Patel was present at the close-door deliberations at Pawar's residence.

Pawar along with Patel had yesterday met Defence Minister A K Antony, who is general secretary in charge of the state and Ahmed Patel, political advisor to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi at his residence in Delhi to hammer out a solution.

NCP is insisting on the 1999 formula of portfolio sharing while Congress wants its ally to part with the key portfolios of Home, Finance, Power.

Ajit, who lost the race for NCP Legislature party leader to Bhujbal, had created a political storm yesterday when he said he had been offered the Chief Minister's post by the opposition Shiv Sena-BJP if he switches sides.

Ajit had said NCP will not join the government if Congress does not accept its demand of sticking to the 1999 formula of portfolio sharing.

Bhujbal said his party will never join hands with Shiv Sena-BJP for the sake of power. Shiv Sena leader Manohar Joshi declared that the Shiv Sena-BJP combine was not averse to Ajit as Chief Minister provided he broke ranks with Congress.

"NCP led by Ajit Pawar along with Shiv Sena-BJP had ruled the Pune Municipal Corporation for a couple of years," he said.

After the meeting, Patel told reporters that NCP was firm on its stand that the 1999 portfolio sharing formula should be applied this time too.

Bhujbal said it is up to Congress to take a decision, while Patel expressed confidence that Congress would accept the formula.