Maharashtra assembly polls: NCP adamant on 50:50 seat-sharing

NEW DELHI: Seat-sharing talks between Congress and Nationalist Congress Party are delicately poised with the Maharashtra outfit sticking to its demand that it be given a higher share in the coming assembly elections.

The NCP seems unwilling to climb down on its demand for 50:50 seat-sharing formula which means Congress cede a good number of seats to the ally.

NCP argues that Congress had snatched seats from it in 2009 on the claim that it had performed better in the Lok Sabha elections. The party says the same reasoning this time would give more seats to NCP as it managed to win four seats against Congress's two in the 2014 Lok Sabha contest.

The talks between the allies in the past have witnessed rhetoric and posturing before it all falls in place following the intervention of their chiefs. But leaders say the stridency in the NCP ranks seems different this time, largely because it realizes that Congress is vulnerable after the Lok sabha decimation and its need for allies is also greater.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday told party workers that he and Sonia Gandhi would decide on seat-sharing and urged restraint in public comments. However, Pawar has maintained pressure in talks with Congress and insisted that there be equitable sharing of seats between the allies.

The big question in political circles is if Pawar would strike out on his own after being in alliance with Congress for 15 years.

The Maharashtra elections remain an uphill task for Congress after BJP-Shiv Sena's virtual romp in the Lok Sabha polls. The ascent of the saffron alliance to power in Delhi seems to be further consolidating its appeal given that BJP's rainbow alliance remains intact for the assembly contest too.

There are differences between the saffron allies over the chief minister's post, especially after the death of Gopinath Munde who was a clear choice for CM from BJP. But an immediate clash may be defused by leaving the post of CM to be decided after the elections.

The squabbling among NCP and Congress seems to be further creating a schism between the cadre of the two "secular" parties. A coordinated effort is a must for them to overcome the disappointment of the Lok Sabha defeat and pose a challenge in the state elections.

It remains to be seen what formula Congress finds to satisfy the aggressive ally while also ensuring that it does not send out a message of political surrender. It is possible that Congress may drop a few seats from its 2009 share of 174 without actually making it a halfway division with the NCP.