Maharashtra polls: Keen for alliance but if not possible, other options open, says Prithiviraj Chavan

As the Congress and NCP bargain hard over seat-sharing for the upcoming Assembly polls in Maharashtra, state Chief Minister Prithiviraj Chavan today said his party was "keen" for an alliance but is willing to go alone if need be.
Chavan, who was in Delhi meeting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and other top leaders, said the party is willing to give back the 10 seats that it took from the NCP in 2004.

He made it clear that Congress cannot enter into an alliance which is "not honourable". "Congress is keen for an alliance but if it is not possible, other options are open," Chavan told PTI.

Asked if he was confident of striking up an alliance, he said one does not know how things will turn in negotiations. "The point is every single party that is going into polls, will have to... if there is no alliance, we will have to go into election (alone). There is no question of being confident or otherwise. We are in for winning and we would like to fight maximum number of seats that situation permits," he said.

Chavan, who is fighting to retain power in the crucial state that has been ruled by the alliance for 15 years, said both NCP and the Congress cannot enter into an alliance which is not honourable. "We cannot humiliate each other and expect to work closely with each other. It has to be an alliance which preserves the respect and dignity of each political party," he said.

The Chief Minister said, "We are willing to return the 10 seats that we took back. We are willing to go in the 2004 scenario which was derived from the relative strength of two parties in 1999".