Cong, NCP will contest together: Sharad Pawar

Pawar said that the party’s state leadership had not altered its demand for an equal seat share.

NCP president Sharad Pawar on Monday said the alliance with the Congress will remain in place for the assembly elections on October 15. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar indicated all political parties were veering towards contesting alone, but stressed that a final decision on the Congress-NCP alliance would rest with the top leadership.

The Congress-NCP alliance, now 15 years old, has hit a roadblock over seat-sharing. Following the Lok Sabha election results that saw the NCP winning four seats and the Congress two, the former, which had fielded candidates in 114 of the 288 seats during the assembly polls in 2009, has stepped up

pressure on the Congress for an allocation of 144 seats this time around. And the Congress leadership has been unwilling.

Pawar said that the party’s state leadership had not altered its demand for an equal seat share. He added, however, that the decision eventually taken by party seniors will be final. “We do not believe in the concept of a big brother and a little brother in an alliance. After we put across the proposal for 144 seats, there was a phase when there was no discussion between the allies for many days. The ball is now in the court of party seniors on both sides. Whatever decision they take will be acceptable,” Pawar said.

Meanwhile, a day before the NCP hold its first public rally in Western Maharashtra’s Kolhapur, the party on Monday inducted eight sitting Independent legislators.