India
Updated : Sep 22, 2014, 06:52 PM IST
Similar to the Sena-BJP row, the deadlock between the NCP-Congress over seat-sharing continued on Monday, with the Congress not ready to accede more than 124 seats to the NCP.
After the core committee meeting on Monday, NCP leader Praful Patel said, “We have received a call from Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and are being told by the Congress that both parties must sit together to discuss the seat-sharing. Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, discussions will be held with Congress leaders.”
“The Congress party is willing to give us 124 seats, which our party is not willing to accept. Our delegation will reiterate our stand of equal seats to the Congress leadership tomorrow. They should re-consider our demand.”
Mentioning that an ultimatum was not given by the NCP but by the Election Commission, Patel said, “NCP is the only party which was consistently in alliance with the Congress for 15 years in the state and 10 years at the Centre and a positive decision is expected in Tuesday's meeting.” Stating that if anyone accused NCP of having a separate agenda, they could also do the same, Patel said, “We also want to grow. Why shouldn't a party aspire to grow?”
Also read: Alliance partners unhappy with BJP-Sena row; want immediate decision on seat sharing
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said, “Talks with the NCP are going on in a separate track and discussions are still on.”
Chavan had on Sunday snubbed the NCP over an "ultimatum" given by party leader Praful Patel on its demand to contest 144 seats in the October 15 Maharashtra Assembly elections, saying that such discussions are not held through press conferences.
Maharashtra minister and senior Congress leader Narayan Rane on Monday said the first list of the party's candidates for next month's assembly polls would be announced on September 25. However, Rane, the party's assembly poll campaign in-charge, parried questions on the current logjam over seat-sharing between Congress and NCP. Stating that the issue was for the Congress to decide, the Industries Minister said "the alliance would be good for both the parties."