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This is a welcome gesture, says Cong spokesperson Sachin Sawant

Mumbai : Nationalist Congress Party’s state president Sunil Tatkare, on Saturday, sent Friendship Day wishes to his counterpart in the Congress. “May our friendship last long” the message in Marathi meant. This is significant given that the NCP had issued an ultimatum to the Congress over seat-sharing agreement on Friday.

Tatkare has sent friendship day wishes to all workers of NCP and Congress both, a party press release said. It also stated that the message from Tatkare reiterates party’s resolve for the alliance.

As Tatkare sent the friendship day message to MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre, he said, “Our parties, through a friendly and successful alliance, have given a stable government to Maharashtra over last 15 years. We together have taken Maharashtra ahead on the development track. We have shown a good performance till now and we shall keep it on. Our friendship is unbreakable,” the NCP press release said.

“This is a welcome gesture,” Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said. “Our resolve is to keep the communalist elements out of power and we shall be always together for that, no matter howsoever the differences,” he added reiterating that the alliance will be intact.

NCP has been demanding equal seats in the 288 member legislative assembly elections, while the Congress has rejected the demand.

NCP president Sharad Pawar had told his state leaders that the seat-sharing formula would be decided by him and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, while senior NCP leader Praful Patel had, on Thursday, said that it was not possible for the NCP to wait for a prolonged period.

Even state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had reiterated their stand that the party should get more seats for the assembly polls, at a party meeting in Osmanabad on Friday.

Congress had contested 174 and NCP 114 seats in 2009. Congress sources say the party would yield maximum ten more seats to the NCP, but equal sharing was ruled out.