Seat-sharing decision rests with me and Cong chief: Sharad Pawar

Mumbai, July 27: NCP president Sharad Pawar on July 26 told party leaders of Maharashtra unit here that the decision on seat sharing for the Assembly polls would be taken by him and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Pawar met the state party leaders late this evening to discuss the ongoing talks with Congress regarding election preparations.

He told them that going alone in the Assembly elections was not in the interest of both the parties. Pawar asked the leaders to refrain from making comments which would harm the alliance, sources said.

Both Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and state unit chief Sunil Tatkare told the party president that the feedback from the ongoing Nirdhar Melavas was that workers wanted the party to contest all the 288 seats.

Congress has rejected NCP's demand for 144 seats. Later, talking to reporters Tatkare said NCP was firm on its demand for 144 seats.

"Congress should respect our views. We can also claim that Congress won the Nanded and Hingoli seats in Lok Sabha because of our support," Tatkare said, adding that final decision on seat sharing would be taken by Pawar and Sonia Gandhi in Delhi.

PTI