Maharashtra polls: NCP's Praful Patel blames Congress for split, says party was not serious about talks

MUMBAI: Barely an hour after the BJP announced it was parting ways with the Shiv Sena, the NCP also severed its 15-year-old alliance with the Congress. Blaming the Congress for the split, NCP’s Praful Patel said the Congress was not serious about talks with them.

“We kept hearing from the media and other channels about the number of seats that the Congress was willing to give to us, but got no such offer from the Congress. Officially, there was only once when they offered us 124 seats, which we rejected as we wanted 144 seats, we haven’t got any other offer,” said Patel, rejecting Congress claim that it had offered the NCP 128 seats.

Patel also said that the Congress was playing hard ball in negotiations with it, and lamented that while the NCP was trying to arrive at a compromise during the seat sharing discussions, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had left for Karad and was not reachable. Chavan had left for Karad on Wednesday morning. The NCP also accused its ally of going back on its agreement when it released the first list of candidates last night.

“We had clearly spoken and agreed upon that those independent MLA’s who join either of our parties, will be accommodated in the same seats. However the Congress has violated it by allotting tickets to its candidates from those constituencies where these independents have joined us”, said Patel.

The NCP leader, however, said the party would go with ‘secular forces.’ Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar who has had major run-ins with the CM said, “I found it very difficult to work in the state government. I have decided to meet the Governor and submit resignation tonight or tomorrow morning. The Congress has acted in a very adamant manner. I don’t know with whom one should communicate in the Congress party.”