NCP to go solo if Shiv Sena-BJP talks fail?

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has given indications to its probable candidates and sitting legislators that they should be prepared in case the party chooses to contest the state assembly elections on its own.

According to the highly places sources in NCP, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is not in favour of making the alliance with the Congress. "Ajitdada wants to go solo so that the NCP's strengths can be checked. It will help us get maximum legislators elected and help long time chief minister aspirant Ajitdada stake claim on the CM's post. If we accept 130 seats and cement the alliance with Congress, it will be difficult for us to get more legislators than them. The Sena-BJP alliance looks like it is unlikely to work with so much bickering between them. It is the right time for NCP to emerge as the single largest party in this fractured scenario. We have conveyed to all our aspirants and fixed candidates to prepare to go solo," said a NCP senior leader who is close to Pawar.

The NCP has demanded 144 seats and the chief minister's post for half-term. However, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday told reporters in Karad that the NCP has put forward unfulfillable conditions. Manikrao Thakre, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president had stated that if they break the alliance, the NCP should be blamed.

"We are waiting for the final decision from the saffron camp. We may have started seat-sharing talks with the Congress. But our eyes are on the seat-sharing of Sena-BJP and its smaller allies. We are closely monitoring the current political scenario of state. If all five political parties contest separately, the NCP has major chance of resurfacing in this fragmented political scenario. Our vote bank is solid," said another NCP leader requested anonymity.

"This time, the NCP does not wish to be in alliance with Congress because of its sliding popularity. There are anti-incumbency factors against the Congress and that may damage the NCP like Lok Sabha polls. If the NCP fights separately, then by projecting Ajitdada as a strong and decisive CM, it will get the young Maratha vote back in its fold," said a political observer.

A Congress leader told dna that these are pressure tactics used by the NCP to more seats. "We are used to NCP's gimmicks. We are sure that at last moment NCP will have an alliance with Congress," he said.

Deadlock continues
With none of the alliance partners including Congress and NCP ready to take the initiative to speak to each other, the deadlock over seat-sharing arrangement remains unresolved. The Congress has stuck to its demand of giving a maximum of 124 seats and NCP maintaining its demand for 144 seats. The NCP held a marathon meeting at Devgiri, the official residence of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, while Congress state unit president Manikrao Thakare held several meetings at Tilak Bhavan and chief minister Prithviraj Chavan visited his hometown Karad.