13 February,2009 04:17 PM IST | | PTI
The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) wants a bigger share for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls and is not content with continuing the seat sharing formula for the 2004 polls, a senior party leader said here on Friday.
"We would certainly like to contest more number of seats in the coming Parliamentary polls," Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said on the sidelines of a function in central Mumbai.
Leaders from both the parties are engaged in talks over seat-sharing, Bhujbal said, adding the talks were at an initial stage.
Bhujbal indicated that NCP would like to have seat-sharing with Congress 'on the lines' of the BJP-Sena poll alliance (BJP contests more seats than Sena for the Lok Sabha polls).
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Congress had fielded nominees in 27 seats while NCP put up candidates in 21 Parliamentary seats in 2004 polls. BJP contested 26 seats while Sena fielded candidates in 22 seats.
Congress won 13 seats whereas NCP secured nine seats. The Sena-BJP combine won 25 Lok Sabha seats.
In the 2004 Assembly polls, Congress fielded 157 candidates, while NCP put up 124 candidates in the 288-member Lower House. Despite getting fewer seats to contest, NCP won more (71) seats than Congress (68).
However, with Congress candidates winning subsequent by-polls, the Congress tally now exceeds that of the NCP.
