No Alliance, Sharad Pawar's NCP Will Contest All 26 Seats In Gujarat

Though Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party will contest the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra in alliance with the Congress, the party has decided to go it alone in Gujarat. The NCP on Thursday declared it will contest all 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat..

All the 26 constituencies of Gujarat will vote during the third phase of elections on April 23. Maharashtra, however, will vote for Lok Sabha Elections 2019 in four phases. The polling dates for Maharashtra will be on April 11, 18, 23 and 29. The votes will be counted on May 23.

The Congress and the NCP last week announced their seat-sharing pact in Maharashtra for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls with the two parties agreeing to contest 26 and 22 seats respectively.

Prominent among the parties which have joined hands with the Congress-NCP in Maharashtra are Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), the Swabhimani Shektari Sanghatana (SSS), the Bahujan Vikas Agadhi (BVA), Independent MLA Ravi Rana's Yuva Swabhiman Party, People's Republican Party headed by Jogendra Kawade and the Republican Party of India (RPI Gavai).

Senior party leader Ajit Pawar had said the Congress-NCP combine was ready to give six seats to allies, adding that some parties tried their best to ensure the alliance doesn't take shape.

"There is no doubt such parties were the B team of the BJP and their actions were intended to help the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance," Mr Pawar had alleged.

The 17th Lok Sabha election will be held in seven phases beginning April 11. The final phase of voting will take place on May 19. The counting of votes will be done on May 23.