Maharashtra Congress talks tough on poll pact with NCP

In an apparent hard posturing over seat adjustment with NCP for the forthcoming Assembly polls in Maharashtra, the Congress today said the 15-year-old alliance will continue only if a decision on the issue is taken without compromising its "self-respect".
Chief Minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan asserted the seat-sharing with the Sharad Pawar-led outfit will have to be "honourable" for his party, the senior partner in the alliance that is in power in Maharashtra since 1999.
Referring to ongoing parleys with NCP leaders who are insisting on contesting 144 seats out of the total 288, a demand opposed by Congress, Chavan said, "The alliance will continue only if an honourable agreement on seat sharing is reached and not otherwise. There will not be any compromise on the party's self-respect".

Chavan, addressing Congress workers from western Maharashtra here, said seat sharing talks with NCP were taking place under the guidance of AICC General Secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Mohan Prakash.
"We are not bothered whether BJP and Shiv Sena fight elections together or part ways," he said.
Later talking to reporters, the Chief Minister said "no agreement can be an one-sided affair", and hoped a satisfactory solution to the seat sharing will be reached.

Earlier, MPCC President Manikrao Thakre also asserted that Congress will not agree to leaving 144 seats for NCP under any circumstances.
"We will never agree to giving 144 seats for NCP to contest. During our talks, NCP leaders put their claim to 144 seats, saying their strength in the state had increased.

"We do not accept this. Congress workers should keep themselves ready to contest all 288 seats (if no agreement is reached with NCP)," Thakre said.
Thakre said the first list of Congress candidates will be out by August 7 and remaining names too will be released by August 10-12.
In 2009, Congress contested 174 seats and NCP fielded nominees on 114 Assembly segments. In the just concluded Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, which has 48 seats, NCP bagged four, while Congress won just two.