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NCP attacks jumbo government

Barely hours after the expansion of the Vilas Deshmukh ministry with the induction of 33 new ministers, the 10-day-old Democratic Front government in Maharashtra is showing the first signs of cracks within the coalition.

The Nationalist Congress Party, one of the partners in the coalition, has openly opposed the oversized Council of Ministers.

NCP spokesman Praful Patel said it was earlier decided that the number of ministers should be about 50, with 20 to 22 each from the Congress and the NCP and six from the supporting parties.

But Deshmukh had, without taking the NCP into confidence, inducted three additional ministers, two of Cabinet rank and one minister of state. This is a serious matter and not good for the coalition, he warned, adding that the government would have to face a lot of flak for its large size.

From among the independent legislators supporting the government, it was earlier agreed to induct just one minister. But Harshwardhan Patil had unilaterally been added to the list, he said.

Patel said the NCP has withheld the allocation of portfolios to its ministers. Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Patel met Chief Minister Deshmukh at the state government's Sahyadri Guest House in south Bombay after the swearing-in and told him about the NCP's reservations in having a jumbo Cabinet.

Patel said Deshmukh told them that he would convey the NCP's sentiments to the Congress high command.

Patel added that the NCP was not threatening to withdraw support, but only wanted trust and confidence between the two main coalition partners to be kept alive.

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