NCP says Maha SP-BSP alliance immaterial

On the day the SP and the BSP announced to contest all 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra together, the NCP Tuesday said the development would not have any adverse impact on the electoral prospects of the Congress-NCP combine.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik also downplayed Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash Ambedkar's decision to not join the Congress-NCP combine and contest all Lok Sabha seats.

The Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party have announced they would contest all 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

"Just like the Shiv Sena and the BJP, the alliance between the Congress and the NCP is sealed. Smaller outfits like the PWP and those believing in the ideology of Mahatma Phule and B R Ambedkar have joined hands with us," he said.

Taking a dig at the BJP-led NDA, the NCP leader said smaller outfits led by Vinayak Mete and Ramdas Athavale too are saying that they are not being taken into consideration while finalising contours of seat-sharing.

"Sharad Pawar has already said there will be state-specific alliances, and in Maharashtra, the alliance between the Congress and the NCP is already in place," he said, adding that Ambedkar, and SP and BSP have always contested independently.

Malik said some smaller parties are expected to join the Congress-NCP front, and that the announcement will be made at appropriate time.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesman Sachin Sawant hit out at Ambedkar, saying the sole motive of forming the VBA is to divide secular votes and benefit the BJP directly.

"But people are not interested in entertaining any 'vote katuas'. Leave aside his party, Ambedkar himself will be defeated by a huge margin," Sawant said.

Ambedkar is likely to contest from either Akola or Solapur. However, no official announcement is made so far on his candidature.