Congress-NCP alliance for Lok Sabha polls ‘almost sealed’, efforts on to rope in smaller allies

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar are likely to share the dais at a rally in Mumbai or Vidarbha later this month, as both parties have all but finalised their pre-poll alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
While efforts are still on to rope in at least eight to nine smaller allies for the grand alliance, Congress and NCP have arrived at a consensus on 44 off the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Both parties plan to share three to four seats from their quota with the smaller allies.
“Our alliance is almost finalised… only four seats are left. We are hopeful the issues over these seats will be sorted out soon,” said Nawab Malik, chief spokesperson, NCP.
The four seats that remain contentious are Raver, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad and Nandurbar. Congress wants Raver and Ahmednagar from NCP, while the latter has staked claim on Aurangabad and Nandurbar seats.
Both parties are expecting a few sitting MPs from BJP and Shiv Sena to join them. While the Congress is expecting a senior BJP leader to join the party, for which it has staked claim on the Raver seat, NCP wants Nandurbar as it is also expecting another senior BJP leader to join it. Congress is firm on Ahmednagar from where Dr Sujay Vikhe Patil, son of Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, leader of opposition in the state assembly, is determined to contest. If the NCP does not concede Ahmednagar, Sujay is expected to contest as an independent.
“The decision over both seats will be stretched until the respective leaders join the parties,” said a former NCP minister, who did not wish to be named.

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