Cong, NCP suspend seat-sharing talks for Maharashtra assembly poll

Both parties claim they are ready to go solo in the Maharashtra polls

Negotiations between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over sharing of seats for the coming election to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly have come to a halt with both sticking to their stand.

Notably, the two parties have also indicated that they are prepared to part ways and go solo. A meeting slated for Wednesday morning did not take place after chief minister Prithviraj Chavan left for his home town Karad, from where he plans to contest.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar, former Union minister Praful Patel, and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar met as scheduled.

Meanwhile, the Congress reiterated it would not accept NCP's demand for 144 seats; it said it could offer only 124.

An NCP minister in the Maharashtra government told Business Standard: “Besides, the Congress has forwarded the list of a few seats, which can be exchanged and it is not acceptable to the NCP. If the Congress decides not to strike a seat-sharing deal, then the NCP is prepared to go solo. However, the Congress should reveal its mind.”

A Congress minister said the party does not want to succumb to NCP's pressure tactics. “There is no question of giving 144 seats to NCP merely because it has won two more seats than the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls. The Congress is firm that it would give only 124 seats to NCP,” the minister averred. He added the chief minister would discuss the NCP's demand for rotational chief ministership with the Congress’ top leadership.

Meanwhile, the NCP has asked party candidates who have been short-listed, to file their nominations from Thursday onwards as the last date is September 27.