Talks with like-minded parties to get over by Jan end: Cong

Maharashtra Congress Friday said the seat-sharing talks with the like-minded parties for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections would get over by the end of this month.

Ashok Chavan, president of the Maharashtra unit of Congress, while addressing a press conference here, also said the district committees were submitting names of the aspiring candidates, which would be examined by the state committee at its meeting on January 29-30 and forwarded to the AICC for its approval.

"At any cost, discussions with eight to nine parties will finish by the end of this month...There are no differences between the NCP and the Congress and only discussions on seat sharing have been taking place," he said.

On the alliance with Prakash Amedkar's Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM), Chavan said, "We have categorically told them that as long MIM is there, Congress will not be a part of join hands with it."
When asked whether Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's formal entry into politics would benefit the party, he said, "It will certainly have a positive impact on the party workers as she reminds us of Indira Gandhi."
On "Thackeray", a biopic on late Balasaheb Thackeray, he said, "The timing of the film's release is aimed at gaining political mileage."