NCP to get contentious Ahmednagar LS seat, says party source

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will get the contentious Ahmednagar Lok Sabha seat as seat-sharing talks with the Congress are underway, a source in the Sharad Pawar-led party said Saturday. A meeting of Congress and NCP leaders would take place at the residence of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and senior Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil on Sunday, he said.

Speaking to reporters here, Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil exuded confidence that the deadlock over eight seats (including Ahmednagar and Pune) will be resolved soon. Earlier Saturday, Jayant Patil met NCP chief Sharad Pawar along with party workers from Ahmednagar. Requesting anonymity, an NCP leader said the party will get the Ahmednagar seat. The Congress has sought this seat as Vikhe Patil's son Sujay wants to contest from there.

Meanwhile, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, asked about speculation that lawyer Ujjwal Nikam was being considered as the party's candidate from Jalgaon Lok Sabha seat, said, "I am not aware if he is interested. But he is a good person." Nikam has served as special public prosecutor in several high-profile cases including the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, Congress and NCP have reached seat-sharing agreement for 40. The talks are inconclusive about Nandurbar, Raver, Yavatmal-Washim, Jalna, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Aurangabad, Pune and Ahmednagar.

(With inputs from agencies.)