After it failed to strike pre-poll deals with allies in UP and Bihar, Congress on Monday managed to cobble up a seat-sharing pact in Maharashtra with NCP under which it will field 26 candidates and leave 22 seats for the Sharad Pawar-led party in the Lok Sabha elections.

Ending days of suspense, the seat-sharing was announced at a joint press conference by Congress leader AK Antony and NCP leaders Praful Patel and DP Tripathi.