Cracks in united Opposition ahead of Maharashtra assembly election

All is not well in the Opposition parties ahead of the crucial state assembly polls scheduled on October 2. The Congress and the NCP has allocated the 125 seats each and 38 for the smaller parties, but the Congress leaders are complaining about the allocation of the sure winning constituencies to NCP.

According to the senior Congress leader, NCP supremo Shard Pawar and the Congress president Sonia Gandhi had discussed the seat sharing for the Maharashtra State Assembly polls recently. "In this discussion the important seats that can be won easily has been either given to the NCP or the smaller parties. This is nothing but cutting our own strength," said Congress Rajya Sabha MP Hussain Dalwai.

Dalwai said that the Congress party is giving away the three seats – Bhivandi, Govandi and Aurangabad to the Samajwadi party that has completely wiped out in the preceding Lok Sabha polls. "In fact, in the Lok Sabha polls, all these three seats, the Congress was leading with high margin. We have high and bright chances to win all these seats. I have written to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi and appraised the situations. One hand, our party wants the votes of minority and Dalit but they are hesitant while giving them ticket. We have to change that mindset. The BJP-RSS is dividing the country on the religious and caste line so the Congress should not succumb to their propaganda," said Congress MP. He said that the SP wants three seats while on another three seats, they want to have the friendly contest.

He said that in Rajapur constituency, in Lok Sabha polls, the Congress party got the 37,000 votes while the NCP got only 17,000. "Despite this lead, our party is giving this seat to NCP for state polls. I appealed our leaders to revive the entire seat sharing arrangement. We do not need to make the alliance with the SP. That will not benefit to us. We need to practical,' Hussain Dalwai said.

In Pune also, Congress leader Ramesh Baghave also complained the same. He said that in Pune, the three seats were given to the Congress while the four seats to NCP. Bagave said that the NCP has kept the winning seats while losing seats have been given to the Congress.

Sources in the Congress told DNA that all these complaints are forwarded to the party high command in Delhi. "We are hopeful that all these complaints will be positively addressed. Once it is done, there the reshuffle in seat sharing will be carried out amicably. We do not want to hurt the alliance partners also," he added.