Maharashtra Assembly Polls 2019: Fissures emerge within Congress-NCP over seat sharing

File Pic: (Left to right) Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Even as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress announced that they would be contesting on 125 seats each during the Maharashtra Assembly polls, scheduled for October 21, differences between the two parties have emerged over certain seats.

"There have been certain problems between the two parties over some five to six seats," a Maharashtra Congress leader told Moneycontrol. "The problem is specifically related to Akola (West), Balapur, Nagpur (North) and some constituencies in Pune and Aurangabad," the leader added, stating that in Aurangabad, the problem is with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and not NCP specifically.

"When the talks between NCP and Congress were held in New Delhi, between the high command, some of the seats where Congress candidates have easy chances were handed over to the NCP. This has not gone down well with the cadre," the leader said, adding that the problems will be sorted out soon.

"The seats in contention between the two parties were discussed at a meeting yesterday. The issue will be sorted out soon," another Congress leader in Maharashtra said, adding that the equations between the two parties are "completely normal, unlike the BJP and the Shiv Sena".

Earlier, Congress' Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP), Hussain Dalwai had reportedly written to the high command, stating that the Congress has "high and bright chances" to win on seats such as Bhivandi and Govandi, which are being given away. He had added that while the party wants minority and Dalit votes, the party is "hesitant" to give them tickets.

"The problem is that we are giving tickets to sons and daughters of leaders, not people who are genuine and who understand ground-level politics. Until we start doing that, things won't change," the first leader quoted above said.

In 2014, Congress and NCP had contested the state elections separately. NCP chief Sharad Pawar had ended the 15-year alliance after the two parties had been unable to reach a seat-sharing arrangement.

Congress had won 42 seats while the NCP had won 41 seats in 2014 Assembly polls. At that time, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party, the NCP had said that it was ready to offer outside support to the BJP to form the government in Maharashtra.

(Please Note: The story has been updated to correct a typographical error. The error is regretted.)