NCP escalates demand, tie-up with Cong yet to be finalised

Even as the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) firmed up a pre-poll alliance for the Mumbai civic polls after hectic negotiations, the two parties are yet to finalise the seat-sharing agreement for the coming assembly elections in Goa. Aurangzeb Naqshbandi reports.

Even as the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) firmed up a pre-poll alliance for the Mumbai civic polls after hectic negotiations, the two parties are yet to finalise the seat-sharing agreement for the coming assembly elections in Goa.

HT Image

Congress sources said the numbers game was holding up the pre-poll tie-up between the two ruling coalition partners in the state. The NCP has escalated its demand from the six seats it contested in the 2007 elections.

Initially, Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar’s party had sought 12 seats this time but later came down to eight when it saw the Congress unwilling to concede the demand.

Though the Congress is keen on repeating the 2007 formula, it might at the most allot one additional seat to the NCP as a conciliatory step. However, the party’s central leadership is confident that the two will thrash out the differences and jointly fight the elections.

“Talks with the NCP are going on in the right direction. We will soon finalise the seat-sharing agreement,” said Jagmeet Singh Brar, who is the Congress functionary in charge of Goa affairs.

While the Congress had 20 legislators in the outgoing assembly, the NCP had three and there were two members from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). Goa Congress president Subhash Shirodkar said the party was in talks also with the MGP for a pre-poll alliance. But chances of an understanding between them appear dim, given that the pro-Maharashtra Goan party was exploring the possibilities of going with the BJP.