Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar discussed seat-sharing for Lok Sabha polls: NCP

MUMBAI: Congress president Rahul Gandhi and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar held discussions about a seat-sharing arrangement in Maharashtra for the next year’s Lok Sabha elections, the NCP said on Friday.nnThe discussions were held in Delhi on Thursday, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson Nawab Malik said here.nnSenior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Ashok Gehlot and NCP’s Praful Patel were also present at the meeting.nnThe NCP proposed a 50:50 seat-sharing arrangement in the state, Malik said, adding that both the parties want to finalise it at the earliest.nnHe said Gandhi told Pawar that the Congress will discuss the proposal “at the local (state) level”.nnThe Congress had contested 26 seats in the state in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and won two, while the NCP had fielded candidates in 22 seats and won four.nnThere are 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra.nnOn Friday, Pawar held a meeting of the NCP’s core committee here to discuss the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.nn”Pawar informed the core committee about yesterday’s meeting….We discussed the seats we may contest and the shortlisted candidates,” Malik said.nnThe core committee also discussed issues such as power cuts and the drought situation in Maharashtra, he said, adding that the NCP will soon launch a protest over these.nnSource: Press Trust of India