Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar met in Delhi on Wednesday to discuss the seat sharing arrangement between the two parties in Maharashtra for the Lok Sabha elections, PTI reported.
“Had a fruitful discussion with Shri Rahul Gandhi, President INC India to strategise the future course of action for the forthcoming Lok Sabha Elections,” Pawar tweeted on Wednesday. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel were also present during the meeting, ANI reported.
The two parties are likely to contest almost an equal number of seats in the state, PTI reported, quoting unidentified leaders. A few seats will be given to smaller parties that are part of the alliance in Maharashtra.
According to Mumbai Mirror, the parties reached an agreement on 40 out of 48 seats in Maharashtra. “Patel and Kharge will now hold a number of meetings with the state chiefs of NCP and Congress to decide on a formula,” an unidentified senior National Congress Party leader said. “The issue of Raj Thackeray-led MNS eyeing seats from the NCP quota was also discussed at the meeting, but the Congress was opposed to this idea.”
In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress had contested 26 seats and the Nationalist Congress Party contested 21. While the Nationalist Congress Party won four seats, the Congress won two seats. For the Assembly polls later that year, the two parties ended their alliance.
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