Mumbai: Congress is likely to yield to NCP's demand of more seats in Mumbai municipal corporation polls, as it feels that alliance is necessary to wrest the power from Shiv Sena-BJP combine, party sources said on Thursday.
Seat-sharing talks are currently underway. NCP is
demanding 65 seats of the total 227, while Congress is ready
to cede 45. Industries Minister Narayan Rane and Chief
Minister Prithviraj Chavan are reportedly keen to have an
alliance with NCP in Mumbai.
Congress sources said that there was a feeling that
undercurrent of anti-incumbency created by Anna Hazare's
movement might work against Congress instead of Sena-BJP.
Shiv Sena-BJP have been ruling the civic body for the
last 15 years.
Congress had won 71 seats in 2007 election, finishing
second in 99 wards. NCP had won 14 seats and finished second
in 17 wards.
Congress wants the 'base' for the talks to be 170 seats
for itself and 34 for NCP. But Sharad Pawar-led party is
saying that in 2007, Congress had agreed to cede 65 seats
before the talks broke down, and this time NCP should get more
than 65 seats.
Sources said NCP was asking for 24 seats where Congress
had finished second, and seven seats where it had finished
third last time.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, January 05, 2012, 20:51