Cong-NCP yet to work out seat-sharing formula

A war of nerves is raging between the Congress and the NCP on the issue of seat sharing for the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Both parties are meeting separately in Mumbai and have yet to sit together for formal seat sharing talks.

On a high after its dramatic gains in the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress is driving a hard bargain making the NCP wait for a formal announcement on tie up.

In the 2004 Assembly elections, the Congress contested 162 seats and the NCP 124 seats. With its seat share moving from 11 to 17 in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress now wants 15-20 seats more than it contested last time.

The NCP not only wants to retain its quota, but also wants more seats in the Mumbai and Thane. It is a region that post delimitation holds the keys power.

But the NCP is at a disadvantage having slid from 9 to 8 seats in the Lok Sabha polls - even losing in its bastion of western Maharashtra.

In a very visual show of strength, the NCP is short listing candidates for all 288 seats with NCP chief Sharad Pawar himself monitoring the process.

"We are going ahead with our plan. We are ready for a tie-up, but we are ready to contest all 288 seats," said NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal.

Congress leaders are not backing down with senior leaders like Vilasrao Deshmukh continuing to chant the solo mantra.

The big question at the moment is who will blink first. Both the parties know that if they have to battle anti-incumbency and a third front, and have little choice but to go together.