By IANS,
Raipur : The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) wants a poll tie-up with the Congress in Chhattisgarh where elections to the state legislative assembly are due by November, leaders from both parties said Saturday.
“The NCP is keen for a pre-poll alignment. We have informed our central leadership and they are considering the request,” a senior Congress leader told IANS here requesting his name be withheld.
The source said a final decision on the tie-up and seat-sharing was expected by first week of October.
The NCP’s lone legislator in the mineral rich state’s 90-member assembly, Novel Kumar Verma, who is also the state president of his party unit, confirmed talks for the tie-up.
“We expect the decision on the poll tie-up with the Congress within a week as talks for seat-sharing are in advanced stages,” he said.
Verma added that the NCP had sought at least four-six assembly seats though the Congress wants to concede only one seat.
The NCP was largely held responsible for the ouster of the Congress government in the last assembly polls in November 2003. The NCP had contested on its own on 89 seats. While it managed to bag just one seat but surprisingly got 7.12 percent votes and spoiled the Congress’ chances in as many as 18 seats, benefitting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).