16 July,2011 06:54 AM IST | | Ravikiran Deshmukh
Prithviraj Chavan also blamed coalition politics for slow decision-making and occasional difficulties
It seems 'coalition compulsions' is the new mantra being used by the Congress to explain away all the problems that are being faced in areas under its rule.
The CM's latest comments could further hamper
the NCP and Congress' fast-deteriorating ties
After Prime Minister Manmohan Singh used it to try and deflect attention from all the scams rocking the government at the Centre, his former media advisor and minister of state for the Prime Minister's Office, Prithviraj Chavan, blamed the intelligence failure in Maharashtra on the same compulsions.
Taking a cue from his predecessor, Ashok Chavan, the chief minister rued the decision to allot the Home Department to the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and attributed delays in decision-making to coalition politics.
After the 26/11 attack, Ashok Chavan had triggered a debate by saying that the Home department should stay with the CM.
Speaking to electronic media yesterday, Prithviraj Chavan said that agreeing to give such an important portfolio to the NCP, which has been its coalition partner since 1999, was a mistake.
"I think it was a mistake. We should have re-looked at it. I don't know of any other coalition government where the portfolios of Home, Finance and Planning are not with the Chief Minister," the CM told the media yesterday, taking Ashok Chavan's statement one step further.
Copied pattern
The CM added that, in 1999 when Congress-NCP came to power for the first time, the pattern of allocation of power was copied from the Shiv Sena-BJP government which was in power in 1995-99.
"But, this is also a unique government where two almost equal partners have been running the government, unlike in other states where there is a dominant partner which has small parties' support. There are difficulties at times, decision-making takes time, but I think it is a part of coalition politics."
Reacting to the CM's statement NCP state unit chief Madhukar Pichad said there was no question of any rethink or change. He also said that parallels should not be drawn the Congress-NCP alliance in Maharashtra and alliances in other states.
'Can't blame Patil'
Deputy CM Ajit Pawar came out in Home Minister R R Patil's support and said he was an efficient minister and could not be blamed for Wednesday's blasts. He also said there was no financial crunch in allocating funds to the Home department.
MPCC Clarifies
In a statement released late last night, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee said, 'The CM's statement needs to be viewed in 'totality' and not blown out of context and proportion.
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He has only pointed to a historical fact wherein the party to which the CM belongs keeps the home and finance portfolio in every state of our country having a coalition government.
'He has also mentioned in the same statement that this should have happened then.
However, in our state, we are almost equals and are following the coalition dharma and working together and shall continue to work
in unison.'
