Mumbai: The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday failed to announce their “grand alliance” as both parties did not reach any conclusion despite a series of meetings with small parties — the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) and Peasants’ & Workers’ Party (PWP).
As the parties were unable to finalise seats, they had to postpone their press conference twice and later cancel their press meet.
A senior Congress leader, who was part of the deliberations, said that as the smaller parties did not have many candidates, they would contest over 18 seats and the Congress and NCP would contest the remaining seats.
Former state chief minister Prithviraj Chavan told reporters that seat sharing between the Congress and NCP had been sorted out successfully but discussions were still underway about four to five seats.
Mr Chavan further said that there were other parties which were not yet satisfied and they were in talks with these parties to get the issues resolved which was taking time.
He also said that they wanted to announce the alliance on Wednesday but they would now declare it through a press release in some time.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, “The seat sharing discussion is currently underway with left parties and the PWP, which is taking time.”
Amidst this, Samajwadi Party (SP) Maharashtra chief Abu Asim Azmi said that his party had joined the Opposition front and would contest three seats, namely Shivajinagar - Ma-nkhurd, Bhiwandi (east) and Aurangabad (east).
“I hope that these seats will now remain with my party. I have joined the Opposition front to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena alliance and reduce their seats wherever possible,” he said.
