Congress, NCP meet to discuss grand alliance

Mumbai: Congress and Natioalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders will meet in Mumbai on Saturday for further discussion about the alliance. The NCP has asked for an equal number of seats. During the Saturday meeting, party leaders will discuss the seats demanded by smaller parties.

Leaders of both Congr-esses have started deliberations with smaller parties to form an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance in Maharashtra. They have alre-ady held discussions with the Communist Pa-rty of India (Marxist), Lok Tantrik Janata Dal, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS), Bhar-ip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM), Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, Peasants and Workers Party, and others. Also, both Congres-ses have discussed their seat-by-seat demands.

Demands of smaller parties will be taken into consideration during the Saturday meeting. “Efforts are underway to take around 10 parties on board for the LS elections,” said Congress st-ate chief, Ashok Chavan.

With Prakash Ambed-kar’s BBM having dema-nded 12 LS seats and Raju Shetti’s SSS having demanded 6 LS seats, both Congresses will have to devise an offer to satisfy these leaders.