Tally up,Cong may drive hard bargain

Having overcome strong anti-incumbency,drought and price rise to secure a third consecutive term in Maharashtra Assembly elections,the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party NCP looked set for a hard bargain over the power-sharing arrangement in the state. Congress sources said the party would seek a change in the power-sharing format demanding crucial portfolios like Home,Finance and Power from its ally.

The issue of rotation of Chief Ministership as demanded by a section of the NCP,a possible irritant between coalition partners,was however sorted out by NCP chief Sharad Pawar who left it to the Congress to decide. The Congress will decide, Pawar told reporters in response to a query if Ashok Chavan will continue to be CM. NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal had earlier advocated rotation of the post of CM as agreed between the Congress and the PDP during the previous regime in Jammu amp; Kashmir.

Emboldened by its improved performance in this election,the Congress was also bracing for a tough bargain with the NCP. The Congress won 82 seats as against the NCPs 62 in the 288-member Assembly. In 2004,the Congress had won 69 as against the NCPs 71.

While the NCP had settled for the post of Deputy CM,it had secured more ministries,including crucial ones like Home,Finance and Power. Congress sources said the power-sharing arrangement this time should be proportional to the number of seats secured by the two parties.