Cong, NCP to hold talks

MUMBAI, Oct 9 (PTI) — Efforts to form a Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra received a boost tonight with the breakaway Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) accepting a formal proposal from its parent party for talks to "keep communal forces out of power".

"The NCP has accepted the Congress proposal for talks on the formation of the new government in the state forwarded by MPCC president Prataprao Bhosle", the party’s state unit president Chhagan Bhujbal told reporters here.

Mr Bhujbal said the NCP would take a final decision on the issue after having negotiations with Congress leaders and "studying their proposal".

Earlier, the Congress forwarded a formal proposal to the breakaway Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), inviting it to hold talks on the formation of a new government in Maharashtra to "keep communal forces out of power" even as the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance deferred staking claim to power in the state.

MPCC chief Prataprao Bhosale told PTI this afternoon that the letter was delivered to NCP state unit chief Chhagan Bhujbal by Mr Manikrao Thakre, a Congress emissary and former minister.

The letter addressed to Mr Bhujbal by Mr Bhosale said "we welcome your stand on the formation of a government in Maharashtra and need to keep communal forces out of power. Let us know the time and venue for having a discussion on this".

Mr Bhosale said AICC observers Madhavrao Scindia and Mohsina Kidwai were expected to arrive here this evening."We will contact NCP leaders again after the arrival of the observers", he said.

The state Legislature Congress Party meeting would be held within two-three days, Mr Bhosale said.

Mr Thakre, who handed over the letter personally to Mr Bhujbal, said the latter told him that he would get back to Congress leaders after the meeting of the NCP legislators which was in progress.

Although the Congress stepped up its efforts for the formation of a government in the state which had given a fractured verdict in the assembly elections, the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance put off the election of its joint leader at a meeting of new legislators here on account of "inauspicious amavasya".

The alliance would call on the state Governor within a day or two after the choice of the leader was made by the sena chief Bal Thackeray and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Chief Minister Narayan Rane told reporters.

The sena chief was conspicuous by his absence at the meeting, but Mr Rane said no political significance should be attached to it.

Asked if the leader to be chosen would be from the sena, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde said senior leaders were involved in the process of government formation and hence he would not like to comment.

"The alliance will remain intact, whichever combination ultimately form the government," Mr Munde said.

The proposal to authorise the respective party leaders to choose the leader was moved by Mr Munde and seconded by Mr Rane.

Mr Rane said the alliance leaders would not be meeting the state Governor today, as the decision on the leader of the alliance had not been taken yet.

The Governor would be approached the moment the leader was chosen, he said.

Mr Rane claimed "the alliance is receiving support from other groups and will reach the magic figure of 145 required to form the government."

Mr Munde refused to comment on senior BJP leader L.K. Advani’s statement that the NCP had been "informally sounded" to extend support to the alliance. "Senior leaders will decide on it", he reiterated.

The meeting was also attended by state BJP president Suryabhan Vahadane.

Senior BJP leader and Information and Broadcasting Minister Pramod Mahajan was also expected to arrive here tonight to hold discussion with Shiv Sena and BJP leaders.

A BJP office-bearer while confirming this however, declined to provide the details.

In another development, Republican Party of India (RPI-Athavale faction) leader Ramdas Athavale today appealed to Maharashtra Governor P.C. Alexander not to allow the Shiv Sena-BJP combine to form the next government in the state as it did not have a majority in the assembly.

The Governor had assured that he would invite a party to form the government only after confirming the claim of majority, a statement by Mr Athavale, who led a party delegation to Raj Bhavan this morning, said here.

The RPI — a delegation spent 15-minutes with the Governor, the statement said.

CPP leader on Oct 12
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 9 — The Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Party will meet here on October 12 to elect its new chairperson and there seems to be no challenge to the re-election of Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

The AICC General Secretary, Mr Oscar Fernandes announced here today that the agenda for the CPP was the "election of the Chairperson".

A date for the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) was yet to be decided. It could take place later during the week, party sources said.

The post of the CPP chairperson was created after Mrs Indira Gandhi had lost the Lok Sabha election in 1977 and later on she retained it even after being re-elected from Chikmagalur in 1978.

The chairperson’s post was recreated last year by the CPP to elect Mrs Sonia Gandhi who at that time was not a member of the either House.

While Mrs Sonia Gandhi has now been elected to the Lok Sabha, there were two shades of opinion in the party on electing her as either the CPP leader or as the chairperson and allow her to nominate floor leaders in either House.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha gets the status of a Cabinet minister. This post was held by Mr Sharad Pawar in the 12th Lok Sabha.

While a section of the party is of the opinion that it will be better for Mrs Sonia Gandhi to be the floor leader also, another view is that she should become the CPP chairperson and nominate a senior leader like Mr N.D. Tiwari or Mr Madhavrao Scindia as the floor leader in the Lok Sabha.

An influential section holds the view that Mrs Sonia Gandhi should be both the chairperson and the floor leader of the Lok Sabha which will allow her to prepare for her future role.

The floor leader has to take part in debates and at times intervene. On most of times, the member has to take part extempore. The best the MP can do is to dig into notes and not read from any prepared text.

Meanwhile, Dr Manmohan Singh who was the floor leader of the Rajya Sabha has sent his resignation to the party Chief following his defeat from the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The decision of the Congress chief is not known yet.

In another development, CWC member Rajesh Pilot today ruled out any challenge to the leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Taking part in a television programme, he said the entire party was responsible for the results.

Mr Pilot, who, at one stage, was reportedly interested in contesting the CPP leader's election, said the matter would be decided through a consensus and if a contest was required, it would take place.

Another CWC member, Mrs Ambika Soni, criticised those who questioned Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s leadership, stating that if the Congress vote share had risen in the general election, especially in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, the credit should go to Mrs Sonia Gandhi.