Mumbai:
Shiv Sena Legislature Party (SSLP) leader Eknath Shinde on Thursday evening announced that the draft Common Minimum Program (CMP) for the MahaShivAghadi alliance has been finalized. Announcing this to newspersons here, he said that the draft CMP will be sent to the leadership of all the three constituent parties. He added that the apex leaders of these three parties will take a final call on the draft CMP. Sources disclosed that contentious issues like sharing of key ministries will be debated and decided at a latter date.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar too disclosed that the draft CMP has been readied and will be sent to the Congress high command for its decision. He said that since there are three political parties involved, there has to be a Common Minimum Program for governance. He said that it was not just the question of forming the government, but also of running it. Wadettiwar added that once the respective party high commands give their clearance the government will be formed soon.
Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal stated that the CMP has been finalized through mutual consultation and cooperation. Terming the talks as positive, he added that the meeting was the first big step. Reacting to the developments, former Mumbai BJP unit president Ashish Shelar remarked that the BJP was keeping a close watch on the three act play being enacted by the three political parties.
Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan stated that all the three constituent parties had deputed their leaders and they held negotiations over the CMP for the last two days. The draft CMP will be sent to the leadership of the three political parties who after going through the draft will convey their views on if any changes are to be made.
Meanwhile, sources disclosed that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP president Sharad Pawar are likely to meet after November 17 to discuss the CMP and other issues of power sharing. The MahaShivAghadi coordination panel meeting was among others attended by senior Sena leader Subhash Desai and former Congress chief minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
Another former Congress Chief Minister Ashok Chavan stated that the power sharing formula shall be finalized soon as it is the question of involvement of three political parties. He added that issues like which ministries are to be shared by whom will be debated. Chavan stated that these issues will take time to sort out. Replying to queries over talks between Sena-BJP alliance, he remarked that when the three parties are already in talks with each other, where does the question of BJP coming in the picture arise.
