Sonia Gandhi, chief of the ruling Congress Party talks to Sharad Pawar (L), leader of Nationalistic Congress Party (NCP), a key ally of Congress Party, during an election rally in Sakoli village, some 95 km (59 miles) from Nagpur city in the eastern Indian state of Maharashtra April 10, 2009. REUTERS/Arko Datta (INDIA POLITICS ELECTIONS) – RTXDUYO
Top Congress leaders are likely to meet their NCP counterparts on Wednesday to take forward the discussions regarding formation of a government in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena.
From being reluctant to engage with the politically opposed Sena, the top Congress leadership has taken a step forward towards formation of a government, but decided not to rush and exercise extreme caution.
A day after NCP chief Sharad Pawar met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, top Congress leaders — Ahmed Patel, A K Antony, Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal — tasked with working out the nitty gritty of the understanding with the Sena and negotiations with the NCP met her to discuss the baseline non-negotiables and assurances that it wants the Sena to give on shedding hardline Hindutva.
The Maharashtra leadership of the Congress, which is eager to have an understanding with the Sena for formation of a government, have reached Delhi. Sources said the Maharashtra leaders will meet central leaders and then sit across the table with the NCP.
Sources in the Congress and NCP said that the two parties have still not given a commitment to the Sena on giving it chief ministers post for a full five-year term.
