The Congress’ seat-sharing talks with the NCP have not reached anywhere, but the party high command is likely to draw up a final list of candidates for the upcoming elections in Maharashtra here on Saturday.
The central election committee of the Congress will take a final call on the candidates. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and party State president Manikrao Thakre will attend the meeting with the party high command.
Sources in both the parties said the alliance talks had made no headway. A large section in the NCP does not want an alliance with the Congress this time, as it feels the party has more chances in a triangular fight than in an alliance. The NCP is keenly watching developments in the National Democratic Alliance. Both the Shiv Sena and the BJP have hardened their positions ahead of the seat-sharing pact.
The top leadership of the Congress believes that all these issues can be settled if NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and Congress president Sonia Gandhi hold discussions. Pawar has already met senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and AK Antony. But the NCP supremo is under pressure as many in his party have come out openly against an alliance with the Congress.
Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said in Mumbai that every party in the State should contest the polls independently to gauge their strength in State politics.
Pawar’s nephew and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is also actively supporting the idea of going alone in the elections.
Amicable settlement The Congress has been maintaining that the issues with the NCP will eventually be amicably settled. Chief Minister Chavan said discussions with the NCP have nothing to do with the problems in the NDA.
“Ours will be a standalone decision and not impacted by what happens in the Sena-BJP combine,” he said.