Ashok Chavan, who was appointed as Maharashtra Chief Minister for the second term, on Sunday said that the State cabinet would be formed after the meeting of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs on Monday.
Talking to journalists here, Mr. Chavan, said that Raj Thackeray's support will not be taken to form the government there.
On the sharing of portfolios between the Congress and the NCP, Mr. Chavan said this would be decided after the NCP legislature party meeting. The Deputy Chief Minister, too, would be announced after the meeting, he said. "The NCP meeting is scheduled for Monday after which the government formation process would start,'' he said.
"There will be many new faces in the Assembly this time and we have to accommodate them also besides ensuring regional balance," he said, adding that he did not want to say anything more on allocation of portfolios.
On the government's priorities in his second term in office, Mr. Chavan said that he would work to implement the election manifesto of the two parties. Maharashtra would be made self-reliant in the power sector in the next three years, he added.
Mr. Chavan, after his appointment as Chief Minister was announced on Saturday, held meetings with President Pratibha Patil, and senior leaders like A.K. Antony, Digvijay Singh and K. Rehman Khan who were the party's observers for Maharashtra and Union Minister Shivraj Patil to discuss the formation of the new government.
Mr. Chavan also met NCP leader Sharad Pawar. Though the meeting was being described as just a "courtesy call," the issue of portfolio allocation is said to have been discussed at the meeting.
The Congress and the NCP, both claim that the allocation of portfolios would be worked out by the State leaders, and the matter would be referred to the Central leadership, if things do not work out at the local level.
The NCP has been demanding an equal share in the Cabinet on the basis of their "better strike rate" as they had contested less number of seats but performed better.
