Mah: Cong-NCP seat-sharing talks for BMC inconclusive

Mumbai, Dec 30: The Congress-NCP talks over seat-sharing for the 227-member Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on February 1 remained inconclusive today.

A meeting of leaders from both the parties was held at the residence of Social Justice Minister Chandrakant Handore here this evening.

The Congress was represented by Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president Gurudas Kamat, Minister of State for Medical Education Suresh Shetty, Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies Baba Siddiqui, and party leader in the BMC Rajhans Singh.

The NCP was represented by PWD Minister Chagan Bhujbal, Finance Minister Jayant Patil, Mumbai NCP working president Nawab Malik, Mumbai NCP chief Sachin Aher and party leader in the BMC Ravindra Pawar.

Both Mr Kamat and Mr Bhujbal, while emerging out of the two-hour meeting, acknowledged that no final decision could be arrived at as there was no consensus on the seat-sharing formula.

They, however, stressed that there was a need for alliance between the Congress and the NCP in order to oust the Shiv Sena.

Mr Kamat maintained that any seat-sharing formula should adequately reflect the strength of the Congress party. While informing that another round of talks would be held within a few days, Mr Kamat hoped that the issue would be thrashed out then. The matter would be resolved at the state-level itself and there would be no need to approach the party high command, he said.

Meanwhile, sources said the NCP has demanded 77 seats but the Congress is not ready to concede more than 46 seats.

UNI