The list had those seats on which NCP had raised claims, including Kutiyana constituency in Porbandar district where Kandhal Jadeja is NCP's sitting legislator
It was after the Congress played hardball that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) decided to go solo in the elections to the 182-member Gujarat assembly. The Sharad Pawar-led party now proposes to field its nominees in all seats.
NCP wanted Congress to leave at least 11 seats for arriving at a pre-poll alliance. However, Congress did not pay heed to NCP's demand and announced its first list of 77 candidates. The list had those seats on which NCP had raised claims, including Kutiyana constituency in Porbandar district where Kandhal Jadeja is NCP's sitting legislator.
Congress insiders said the trust deficit between the two was the main reason for the two parties falling out. A senior Congress leader, who is currently engaged in the finalisation of party nominees, said, "Congress party's local leadership is yet to forget cross-voting by one of the two NCP legislators in favour of the BJP in the recent Rajya Sabha election, which was ultimately won by Congress' Ahmed Patel. They were against succumbing to NCP pressure as the party had to accommodate Hardik Patel's PAAS, and Sharad Yadav-led JD(U) faction too.''
However, NCP MP and in-charge for Gujarat election Praful Patel said the Congress never initiated official seat-sharing talks and unilaterally declared its first list. "NCP had not made any unreasonable demand, but wanted to contest nine seats as per the seat- sharing formula of 2012 poll. While Congress offered only seven seats, our party wanted atleast 11 seats.''
"Though we were for alliance, the Congress did not seem serious and resorted to delaying tactics. The Congress should have been broad-minded to take its allies along,'' said Patel, pointing out that the onus on protecting secularism lies with Congress too.
"I think it would be better for us to fight on all the seats on our own than in alliance with the Congress," he said.
THE DEMAND
NCP wanted Congress to leave at least 11 seats for arriving at a pre-poll alliance. However, Congress did not pay heed.
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