New Delhi, Monday 26 October 2009: 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, 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, 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, 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.

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.

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.