MUMBAI: NCP has emerged the biggest beneficiary in the negotiations within the Maha Vikas Aghadi for ministerial berths with a tally of 16. It will also get the deputy CM's job. Shiv Sena will have 15 members in the cabinet, including the CM. Congress settled for 12, besides the speaker's post.

A Congress politician privy to the three-party negotiations said on Saturday that after the speaker's post was allotted to Congress, CM Uddhav Thackeray agreed to grant an additional berth to NCP from Sena's quota. "The aim was to keep BJP out, but in the process Congress ended up being the biggest loser," he said. "We were insisting on the deputy CM's and the speaker's posts, but now will have to be satisfied with only the speaker's post."

In the first meeting with senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel and AICC general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi a fortnight ago, NCP and Shiv Sena agreed that Congress would get the Maharashtra assembly speaker's post and 12 ministerial berths, including that of a deputy CM.

In a subsequent meeting, NCP objected to the proposal to create two posts of deputy CMs, as was being discussed at the time. Then, it was agreed that Congress would be given speaker's post provided it gave up its claim on deputy CM's post. For well over 15 days, there were several rounds of talks on the issue of two deputy CM posts - one each for Congress and NCP - while it was decided that speaker's post would go to Congress.

On Thursday, Congress submitted to NCP and Shiv Sena that it was not keen on the speaker's post but would not give up its claim on deputy CM's post. "NCP leaders led by Ajit Pawar made it clear that there will be no compromise and there will be only one deputy CM in the government, and the post will be for NCP," the Congress leader said. "They said speaker's post will be given to Congress."

Congress was left with little option but to accept the speaker's post. " When it was clear that there was no scope for compromise, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi approved the candidature of former MP Nanabhau Patole for speaker," the Congress leader said. Congress has to figure out how not to upset two former CMs Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan, who will need to be given posts of significance, in keeping with their standing.

