Congress-NCP set to accommodate Left parties in coalition

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, November 13

The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, which are in the middle of seat-sharing talks for next year’s Lok Sabha elections, are all set to accommodate the Left parties in the state.

According to sources here, the two parties have already decided to leave the Hatkanangale Lok Sabha seat to Swambhimani Shetkari Paksh since its leader Raju Shetti is the sitting MP from here.

Both parties will also leave a few seats from their ‘quota’ to the Left parties, according to sources here.

On Monday, leaders of the Congress and the NCP shared the dais with leaders of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), a wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) where the BJP-led government at the state and central levels were criticised for its ‘anti-farmer’ policies.

Pawar, who spoke at a farmers’ convention organised by the AIKS in Mumbai, accused the government of working against the country’s agriculturists.

“India’s agricultural exports have fallen by 22 per cent while imports have gone up by 62 per cent under the Narendra Modi government,” Pawar said.

He further added that the country may soon be forced to import food grains since output was showing signs of decreasing.

Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan said the BJP could form the government with just 30 per cent of the popular vote because the remaining 70 per cent of the votes were divided.

“We will ensure that the other 70 per cent of the votes will not be divided,” Chavan said.

Sources in the Congress and the NCP say they will co-ordinate with the Left parties to hold protests across Maharashtra which is facing severe drought following the failure of the monsoons this year.

The Congress and the NCP said they would be extending support to the Kisan Mukti March being organised by the AIKS in Delhi later this month.