Riding high on electoral success,Congress,which won 20 seats more than the NCP,now wants its ally to surrender the Assembly Speaker's post. NCP's Krishnarao Rakhamajirao Desai alias Babasaheb Kupekar is the Speaker,a post that has been with the party since 1999 when the ruling alliance came to power. "Senior Congress leader Vilas Patil Undalkar may be the party's choice for the Speaker's post," Congress sources told PTI. "He will either be made Speaker or a Cabinet minister," they said. Since 1999,when the Congress-NCP alliance snatched power from the Shiv Sena-BJP regime,the Speaker's post has been with the NCP. The logic was that NCP had won more seats but 'sacrificed' the Chief Minister's post and in return,it should have got the Speaker's post and additional portfolios. In 2004,NCP won 71 seats,conceded the Chief Minister's post to Congress which had won 69 seats and in return got 24 ministerial berths out of 42. The Congress was left with only 18 ministries. NCP may propose Finance Minister Dilip Valse Patil for the Speaker's post,the sources added. Congress is staking its claims to the ministries of Home,Energy,Rural Development and Public Works,presently held by NCP. However,it is unlikely that the Sharad Pawar-led party may oblige it,the Congress sources said. But unlike in 2004,Congress is in no mood to allow NCP to walk away with most of the key portfolios. "NCP should understand the changed equations. They can no longer flaunt their 'we have more strength' card," the sources said. NCP has already given signals that it is ready to play second fiddle in the new coalition,with party chief Sharad Pawar indicating that the Congress will retain the chief ministership,wrangling over which delayed the government formation last time around. NCP is also trying to rope in its rebels who got elected to the Assembly,to muster numbers for use as a bargaining plank with Congress if needed,the sources added.
