No headway in Cong-NCP seat sharing talks for BMC polls

Mumbai, Jan 11 (UNI) The seat sharing talks between the Congress and NCP for the February 1 Mumbai civic polls failed to make headway despite hectic closed door meetings between leaders of the two parties to iron out differences.

Mumbai NCP spokesperson Narendra Verma told UNI that the deliberations were making headway amicably. ''NCP has agreed to the Congress proposal of 65 seats out of the total 227,'' he said.

However, the deadlock revolved around wards like Umerkhadi in South Mumbai, Naigaum in North Central Mumbai, Amboli and Andheri in North West Mumbai and Bhandup in North East Mumbai which the Congress was not ready to give. The Congress neither had sitting corporators nor had emerged second in the 2002 civic elections in these constituencies,''Mr Verma said.

Talks were still going on between the Mumbai unit leaders of the two parties to formalise the seat sharing alliance, he said.

When contacted, Minister of state for Medical Education Suresh Shetty, who is a member of the Congress negotiating team, said a consensus on the seat adjustments is yet to emerge. Social Justice Minister Chandrakant Handore also of the Congress said,''Talks are still on.'' The last date of filing of nomination papers is January 15.

UNI