After the 11-day impasse, it was Sharad Pawar who blinked first.The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today finally struck a deal on the new government for Maharashtra, with the former keeping the chief ministership and Pawar settling for three more ministerial berths—two of the Cabinet rank and one minister of state—along with two portfolios from the Congress kitty.The new arrangement takes the NCP strength from the present 21 to 24 in a 43-member Cabinet, including the one deputy chief ministership it had in the previous government. The Congress strength, including the Chief Minister, comes down from 22 to 19.Asked about the climbdown by the NCP—which had been bargaining for two deputy CMs, if not the chief ministership, pointing out that it had two MLAs more than the Congress—Praful Patel said loftily: ‘‘We have acted in the larger interest of the state and coalition politics.’’Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Margaret Alva, who announced the new terms and conditions of the Maharashtra deal at Pawar’s residence this evening, did not disclose the portfolios to be transferred from the Congress quota to the NCP’s. Sources, however, said these might be Environment and Forests and Labour.The other features of the 1999 formula would stay as such. Accordingly, the NCP will retain the Assembly speakership, a deputy chief ministership and all its existing portfolios.The final agreement emerged after NCP interlocutor Praful Patel met Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Ahmed Patel and Alva later called on Pawar, who then talked to Sonia on the phone. Earlier in the day, Pawar had also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is believed to have told Mukherjee to ensure a ‘‘fair deal’’.Incumbent Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde is the front-runner for the top post again due to his impeccable credentials—a Dalit who led the alliance to victory. However, a section of the party is pushing for former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Industries Minister Patangrao Kadam, arguing that being Marathas, they would be able to take on strongman Pawar.The NCP struggled throughout the day to convince the Congress to agree to a joint coordination committee to decide on postings of senior officials and other major issues. But the Congress shot it down.It is believed that the NCP till late last night still wanted two deputy chief ministerships, but changed its mind after it realised the divide within on who would hold the posts.
