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The ruling partners Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have decided to hold talks on Tuesday morning on seat sharing arrangement for the election to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. NCP, which had given an ultimatum till today, however, reiterated that it was firm on its demand for 144 seats. NCP also declared that it was against Congress party's proposal of 124 seats for the poll slated for October 25.
Congress is adamant on contesting 174 seats in case alliance works out with NCP. If talks fail, Congress leaders including Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, state party chief Manikrao Thakre and industries minister Narayan Rane have announced party to contest all 288 seats.
Speaking to reporters after the CEC meeting Chavan in New Delhi said: "We are completing our seat selection while talks with NCP are going on at a different level. We are not waiting for the (meeting of) NCP. Discussions with NCP are going on."
NCP's core committee headed by the party president Sharad Pawar held a crucial meeting this afternoon and discussed various options, including going solo. However, the core committee decided to hold yet another round of talks with Congress party on Tuesday morning. NCP leader Praful Patel said Congress party's proposal for 124 seats was not acceptable to NCP. He informed that he held telephonic conversation with Congress party president Sonia Gandhi's political advisor Ahmed Patel.
"NCP is quite keen to survive alliance with Congress in the assembly poll. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had called last night for talks. NCP will be represented by state party chief Sunil Tatkare, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, public works minister Chhagan Bhujbal and myself at Tuesday's seat-sharing talks with Congress," Patel said.
However, an NCP leader, who did not want to be identified, admitted that the party was also waiting to see the outcome of talks between BJP-Shiv Sena alliance. ''NCP is prepared to contest all 288 seats and it has already prepared the list of party candidates. If the Congress party relents and decides to give more seats the alliance will survive or else NCP will fight all seats," he said.
