Mumbai:
After Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told NDTV that if the Home Minister is from the Congress, the response to crisis situations may be quicker and more efficient, NCP chief Sharad Pawar today avoided the subject of any possible friction between the Congress and NCP.
Speaking earlier to NDTV, Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan had said, "I don't know of any other coalition government in the country where the portfolio of Home, Finance and Planning are not with the CM. But this is also a unique government where the two almost equal partners are running the government, unlike in Delhi or in Calcutta or West Bengal earlier, where there was a very dominant partner and a small party was supporting it. This is a unique coalition. But I think it is not a major problem. We both come from Congress culture. We split in 1999 for some reasons but the basic ethos of working." (
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In fact, Chief Minister Chavan backtracked later and issued a formal clarification pointing out that his comments were not directed at the present Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil, who is under fire for the Mumbai blasts. The Maharashtra Chief Minister said he was only referring to long standing arrangement carved out between the two parties in 1999.
Chavan had told NDTV in the same interview, "This was the division agreed to by us in 1999 when for the first time Congress-NCP Government was formed. And that pattern, which we used in 1999, was based on the pattern which Shiv Sena-BJP Government had adopted in 1995. I think it was a mistake. We should have re-looked at it."
But Mr Prithviraj Chavan later added that he was "quoted out of context". Chavan added that he had full faith in RR Patil and had mentioned the context of the 1999 portfolio distribution but it should not be linked to the blasts.
Tariq Anwar, the General Secretary of NCP tried to put up a brave face saying that the government in Maharashtra was united and fighting terrorism and this was not the right time to raise such issues.
However, many in the Congress privately agree with Chief Minister Chavan's view on the subject of Congress holding the Home Ministry portfolio in Maharashtra. But the fact is that despite being allies, Congress and NCP in Maharashtra have always engaged in political one-upmanship, however, mutual dependence has kept the alliance intact.