Chavan justifies Cong's demand for more seats from NCP

Terming Congress's demand for more seats in coming Lok Sabha elections as its "legimate aspirations", Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today hinted the party could bargain for more seats with NCP, its alliance partner in the state.
Addressing Indian Women Press Corps here today, he tried to argue a case that in 2009 elections, Congress had contested 26 seats and won 17 seats while NCP contested 22 seats but won 8. However, in assembly elections of 2009, Congress contested 174 seats while NCP 114.
"There are some legitimate aspirations of Congress. If you translate that in Lok Sabha, each Lok Sabha seat has six assembly seats. If you divide these seats assembly-wise, then it comes to 29 seats to Congress and 19 for NCP. The dicussions are on."

"Plus, an MP who had contested as an independent on a seat from NCP's quota has joined Congress. So, whichever party the independent joins, the seat comes to that party," said Chavan, who is known to share an uneasy relationship with NCP and especially with party president Sharad Pawar and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Congress and NCP are in alliance in Maharashtra since 1999.
Chavan said that barring a few seats, which were exchanged in 2004 and 2009, both the parties continue to hold seats won by both parties in 1999 elections.

The parties are in alliance at the state and the Center but they had contested against each other in local elections. In 2007, both the parties fought Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections seperately and lost to Shiv Sena- BJP alliance.

Chavan added his party will start campaigning for Lok Sabha elections in December after the assembly polls in five states.
"We will focus on UPA's flagship programmes of Food Security Bill, MGNREGA and Land Acquistion Act," he said.