Maharashtra Assembly polls: NCP, Cong tie-up to continue

Objective is to avoid split in 'secular votes' and tackle anti-incumbency

The ruling Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra have decided to continue with their alliance in the state polls, slated for October.

The decision was taken at the meeting between Congress President Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar in New Delhi on Wednesday. The two agreed that the seat-sharing talks should begin soon. Once the seat-sharing formula is fixed at the central level, state leaders will hold talks with regard to exchange of seats.

An NCP member of Parliament told Business Standard : “The seat-sharing decision, its formula, and exchange of seats between Congress and NCP will be formally announced by August 16...”

This will pave the way for release of the first list of candidates by the two parties quickly as the code of conduct is likely to be announced by the first week of September.”

Wednesday’s decision is crucial for both the parties when the MahaYuti alliance partners comprising Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party, Republican Party of India, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, Rashtriya Samaj Party, and Shiv Sangram have already held several rounds of negotiations for seat-sharing. The Congress and NCP deciding to go together is also important as both parties had hinted at the possibility of going solo in the Assembly poll, especially after the humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare were at the forefront to press for the NCP getting a bigger share of seats this time. NCP, which won four seats, two more than the Congress party in general election in Maharashtra, has been reiterating in its party workshops that it will only settle at 144 of the total 288 seats in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

 

"144 seats or we can contest alone too," said Ajit Pawar just two days ago at the party's workshop held in Parbhani, Marathwada. Further, Ajit Pawar, who is NCP president Sharad Pawar's nephew and Tatkare announced that NCP will not play second fiddle but will be keen to be equal partner of the Congress party to face the assembly election.

 

However, Congress has so far rejected NCP's proposal saying that it will not tweak the seat sharing formula of 174:114 between the two parties applied during 2009 assembly poll in the state.  State Congress unit chief Manikrao Thakre also declared that his party was prepared to go alone in the assembly poll but will not succumb to NCP's pressure.

 

Congress had won 82 seats while NCP bagged 62 seats in 2009 assembly poll. Both the parties are ruling the state since 1999. 

 

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan,  who will lead the Congress party in the assembly poll, last week said the Congress will have seat sharing deal with NCP based only on mutual respect and cooperation. He had further indicated that negotiations won't take place if NCP lays down pre-conditions.

 

Chavan observed that  both parties wish to work for Maharashtra, so there was no fundamental conflict. "I am confident we will come to an agreement and fight the election together," he noted. Further, Chavan stressed that the split of secular votes should be avoided.