Cong-NCP conclude seat-sharing arrangements, shuts door on Ambedkar

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, March 23

The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday completed their seat-sharing arrangements with smaller parties for the Lok Sabha elections. 

At a joint press conference held here this afternoon, leaders of the Congress, NCP, the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and two smaller parties said they have carved up the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra among themselves.

While the Congress will contest 24 seats, the NCP will field candidates in 20. The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana will contest from two seats while the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi and the Yuva Swambhimani Paksha will represent one seat each.

Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan told reporters at the event that the alliance would conduct joint campaigns. However, the Congress and NCP would release separate election manifesto, according to Nawab Malik, the latter’s spokesperson.

Meanwhile, the exodus of leaders from the Congress to the BJP continued. NCP state unit vice-president Bharati Pawar and Congress leader Pravin Chheda joined the saffron party earlier today.

The announcement of seat-sharing arrangements between the Congress and the NCP indicates that the two parties have finally shut their doors on Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi.

Ambedkar’s political fortunes saw a revival last year after he organised a Maharashtra bandh last year following the attacks on Dalits who participated in the Elgar Parishad at Bhima-Koregaon in Pune.

After demanding 8 to 10 seats in an alliance with the Congress and the NCP, Ambedkar wanted to be given 22 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats causing negotiations to come to a complete halt.