Maha CM post likely to be on rotational basis with Sena going 1st, NCP next

New Delhi, Nov 20: The chief minister's post in Maharashtra is most likely to be on a rotational basis, with the first half of the five-year term to be given to the Shiv Sena and the latter to the Nationalist Congress Party, NCP sources said.

The Congress is likely to have the deputy chief minister's post for the full term, they said. A senior NCP leader said the fight between the Shiv Sena and the BJP was for over the issue of chief ministership for two-and-half years each.

"So, the question of the Sena enjoying the full five-year term does not arise. The second half will have a chief minister from the NCP," the leader said. However, Congress sources said the issue of chief minister's post was not discussed in Wednesday's meeting.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told reporters that the chief minister of the state will be from his party, but parried question on whether the Sena would hold the post for five years. NCP leaders also cited the slim margin in the number of seats between the two parties.

In the October 21 Maharashtra polls, the BJP-Sena saffron alliance secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats respectively in the 288-member assembly. The Congress and the NCP, pre-poll allies, won 44 and 54 seats respectively. NCP sources also added that the smaller parties which had allied with the Congress-NCP coalition are also on board to having a tie-up with the Shiv Sena.

The Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Paksh (1), Hitendra Thakur-led Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (3), Samajwadi Party (2), CPI-M (1) and Peasents and Workers Party (PWP) -- who had allied with the Congress-NCP -- have also expressed their willingness to join the coalition.