The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are ready to offer six seats to their allies, including the Prakash Ambedkar-led Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM), to form a unified alliance against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena in the upcoming General elections, according to sources.
“We want [Mr. Ambedkar] with us. We are ready to discuss his demands and need to put up a united fight. But one can’t clap with just a hand. The other side has to respond as well,” said former Union minister and senior NCP leader Praful Patel.
He said that the NCP and Congress have sorted out the majority of their differences and are now waiting to hold discussions with other allies such as Raju Shetty-led Swabhimani Shetkari Sangahtana, left parties and Mr. Ambedkar. The BBM leader has allied with AIMIM and will contest all 48 Lok Sabha seats, which is likely to divide anti-BJP votes.
“We have decided that even though the seat sharing is almost finalised, we are not going to announce it until we hold talks with our friends. We are confident of winning 35 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra,” Mr. Patel said.
However, the Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat still remains a bone of contention as Congress wants the seat, which is currently with the NCP. While the parties claim that they are ready to give one more seat to Mr. Shetty, apart from Hatkanangle, which he won in 2014, the farmer leader denies hearing any such offer from them.
The first joint Opposition rally will be held in Nanded on February 20, the second on February 23 at Parli in Beed.