Congress president Sonia Gandhi has directed the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) to begin the process of pre-poll alliance talks with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
The Congress’ terms and conditions for striking an alliance is that NCP will not use the third front to work against their candidates.
It wants an assurance that the pre-poll partnership will culminate into better coordination if they form the government. The Congress also wants that the seat negotiations should be based on the situation post delimitation, which has drastically altered the demography and chemistry in favour of Congress. The party has asserted its claims over 179 seats of the total 288 seats.
Officially, the party has distanced itself from remarks made by senior leaders Digvijay Singh and Vilasrao Deshmukh suggesting NCP’s merger with Congress. Other leaders have been asked to restrain from making irresponsible statements.
MPCC chief Manickrao Thackre said, “Officially, we have never taken any position on either the merger or contesting alone. The final decision will be taken by the high command.”
However, AICC observer Mohan Prakash confirmed the news. “Yes, we have started the election preparations. All issues, including alliances, are being discussed,” he said.
The central leadership has realised that Congress’ ambition to contest alone as done in Uttar Pradesh or Bihar cannot work in Maharashtra. The NCP, under leadership of Sharad Pawar, is still powerful in 56 to 60 of the total 288 constituencies.
Chief minister Ashok Chavan and Thackre held a meeting with the top leadership of the party on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
However, the NCP has thrown the ball in Congress’ court. An NCP cabinet minister
said, “Congress cannot take us for granted. If they don’t honour the alliance, we will also keep our options open after the elections.”
The NCP president Sharad Pawar has convened a meeting on Friday in Mumbai to finalise the poll strategy.
