With the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance facing trouble in Maharashtra, the Congress is making all efforts to salvage its ties with the NCP in the State. After the NCP’s insistence on contesting half of the 288 seats in the State, efforts are on to facilitate an early meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar to resolve the issue.
Sources said that a meeting could take place any time in the next two days to end the deadlock and save the alliance in the interest of the ruling allies, who are facing a strong anti-incumbency factor. The last date of filing nominations is September 27.
“The two are expected to meet shortly to seal the deal on seat sharing. When the tallest leaders from both the sides meet, all speculation and political calculations will come to an end. Such stand-offs have happened in the past, are happening now and would continue in future also. Since the NDA tie-up too is in trouble, the Congress-NCP alliance is looking for an opportunity that can be termed as a blessing in disguise,” said a top AICC functionary requesting anonymity.
A day after former Union Minister and senior NCP leader Praful Patel gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the Congress to resolve the deadlock, there was no ‘official’ word from the Congress on the expiry of the deadline. Patel on Sunday evening said that the party’s Core Group meeting is scheduled for Monday and the party stands firm on contesting an equal number of seats.
“No new proposal has been received by the NCP and its original demand for 144 seats stands,” Patel said in Mumbai.
The last time Sonia and Pawar met was on August 6 when Pawar had announced that his party would contest the Assembly elections in Maharashtra in alliance with the Congress. But both the leaders did not finalise a pact on the number of seats each party would contest. The meeting happened in the backdrop of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar putting forth a demand for 144 seats to contest in the polls which Congress termed as “unjustified”. Ajit had citied his party’s “improved performance” in the 2014 lok Sabha elections as justification for increase in their quota.
The Congress and NCP have shared power in Maharashtra since 1999 after Pawar quit Congress on the issue of Sonia’s foreign origin. NCP has also been part of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre since 2004 and is the second-largest constituent in the Opposition alliance.
In the last Assembly elections, Congress had contested 174 seats while the NCP had fought from 114 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. In the last lok Sabha polls, the Congress could secure only two seats while the NCP had won four out of the total 48 lok Sabha seats in the State.
The Congress CEC on Saturday deliberated on candidates for 144 seats - the halfway mark - leaving the remaining 30 seats for negotiations or exchange with the NCP, prompting NCP leader Praful Patel to give a 24-hour ultimatum to the Congress.