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Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday issued an ultimatum to its partner Congress to settle seat-sharing talks by Sunday for the elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.
NCP's ultimatum came after state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre announced that his party was not in a position to give more than 124 seats to the alliance partner. He said if need arises, the Congress was ready to contest all the seats alone. The combine has been in power since 1999.
NCP leader Praful Patel, who has been in constant dialogue with Congress President Sonia Gandhi's political adviser Ahmed Patel, said his party has not yet received any formal offer from the Congress. However, Patel said his party was not ready to settle for 124 seats. '
'There is nothing new as NCP had contested 124 seats in 2004 and 2009 Assembly polls in an alliance with the Congress. However, the situation has changed thereafter. NCP has won four seats in the Lok Sabha polls, while two by the Congress and therefore the party is insisting on more seats. In this pattern, our demand to have more than 124 seats is rational,'' he added.
Patel said he, along with state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and state party chief Sunil Tatkare, will meet Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Monday and take up the seat-sharing issue, as the time is running out. An NCP leader said, “It is a fight for survival for the NCP. Therefore, the party will make all efforts to come back to power. The NCP is aware that the situation is not conducive for victory and it requires more efforts. If the Congress sticks to its offer of 124 seats, then NCP will have to go solo,'' he added.
The process of filing nominations for the elections began on Saturday. Maharashtra has over 8.28 crore voters.
