NCP wants CM's post on rotation, dispute on six seats: Narayan Rane

NASHIK: Congress election campaign committee chief Narayan Rane today said alliance partner NCP has demanded the post of chief minister on rotational basis should the alliance come to power.

Rane, who is closely involved in talks with Sharad Pawar's party to break the logjam over sharing of seats for October 15 Assembly elections, said NCP wanted that the post of chief minister be rotated between itself and Congress for a term of 2.6 years each if the ruling partners get elected again.

"Our talks with NCP over allocation of seats are on but they have now raised the demand for the CM's post on rotation. Moreover, there is a disagreement between two parties over Karad, Bhokar, Kudal, Chimur, Navapur and Varora seats," he told reporters here after attending a party rally.

While Karad South is currently represented by Congress' Vilasrao Patil, the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has staked a claim for it as he hails from the town in western Maharashtra.

Bhokar is represented by former chief minister Ashok Chavan, Kudal by Rane himself, Chimur and Warora by Congress, and Nawapur by Samjwadi Party.

Seat-sharing talks between Congress and NCP are hitherto inconclusive as the latter is keen on 144 seats while Congress is offering it 124 seats to contest. The deadlock could not ended today despite senior leaders from both sides held direct talks in Mumbai.

However, speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Chavan declined to confirm whether NCP had sought chief minister's post for half of the five-year term if the ruling alliance retains power.

Addressing the rally, Rane accused Narendra Modi government at Centre of "taking credit for the works done by the erstwhile Congress-led UPA regime at Centre."

"The BJP government is taking undue credit of work done by us. It was the Congress government which brought rail to Kashmir," he said.

Rane also criticised Shiv Sena and its president Uddhav Thackeray on various issues.