Maharashtra polls: Congress, NCP to fight three elections together in May

The parties have come up with seat-sharing agreement for elections to 6 legislative council, one assembly and 2 Lok Sabha seats.

The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday clinched a seat-sharing agreement for elections to six legislative council seats in Maharashtra (May 21), and two Lok Sabha and one assembly constituency that will go to polls on May 28.

Senior Congress and NCP leaders said the top leadership – NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Rahul Gandhi – wanted them to work out a deal. (HT File)

Who gets what

After much wrangling just hours before the deadline to file nominations for the council polls ended, the Congress agreed to contest from Parbhani-Hingoli, Amravati and Wardha-Chandrapur-Gadchiroli, while the NCP got Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Nashik and Osmanabad-Latur-Beed constituencies. The fight was mainly over Parbhani-Hingoli and Osmanabad-Latur-Beed constituencies, both in Marathwada. In case of the Lok Sabha constituencies, NCP got Bhandara-Gondia, while Congress will contest from Palghar. The Congress will also fight the election to Palus-Kadegaon assembly seat.

The Palghar and Palus-Kadegaon bypolls are being held following the demise of sitting BJP MP Chintaman Vanga and Congress MLA and senior leader Patangrao Kadam, respectively. The Bhandara seat was held by former BJP MP Nana Pataole, who quit the party last year to return to his parent party, Congress. The Bhandara constituency has traditionally been with NCP leader Praful Patel. However, in 2014 polls, Nana Patole, won the seat, leading to a tussle between the two parties.

Senior Congress and NCP leaders said the top leadership — NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Rahul Gandhi — wanted them to work out a deal. Fighting together could help the allies swing the Lok Sabha bypolls in their favour. However, the last-minute negotiations, despite an earlier announcement that the parties would fight all future elections together, has put a question mark over the ability of local leaders to put their differences behind. Unlike them, the saffron allies who have been fighting in public, managed to work out a seat-sharing agreement for the legislative council quickly and quietly.

Trust factor

Cross-voting and undercutting by alliance partners in the legislative council polls is a major worry for both the combines.

The BJP is fighting two seats in Vidarbha and Osmanabad-Latur-Beed, while the rest three seats for the council biennial polls will be contested by the Shiv Sena.