In a first, the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Indian National Congress joined hands to form the government in Maharashtra. The cementing factor for this unlikely alliance, according to Prithviraj Chavan, was to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party out of the state.
The idea of a three-party alliance, however, wasn't new, the former chief minister and senior Congress leader said in an interview with Quintillion Media's Sanjay Pugalia. There were talks of a three-party alliance even after the 2014 state election, but coming to terms with the Shiv Sena, ideologically seen as a party opposite to the Congress, as an alliance partner did take some time, he said.
Chavan said the cabinet of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, which only has six ministers so far, would take shape very soon. The ratio of MLAs for each party has been finalised at 16:15:12 for the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress, respectively. The three parties, according to Chavan, would also contest all local elections under one banner to keep the BJP at bay.
Hitting out at the previous government, Chavan said Devendra Fadnavis failed to complete a single big infrastructure project in the past five years. He also called the bullet train project a “big mistake”.
I think the deal that the NDA government signed with Japan should be reviewed. It was politically motivated.Prithviraj Chavan, former Maharashtra Chief Minister
Watch | the entire interview with Prithviraj Chavan on the new government in Maharashtra here:
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