Amar-Pawar meet: Is poll alliance on the cards?

In a bid to tie-up a seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra for the coming Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh on Sunday met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on New Delhi.

The interaction was followed by a meeting Pawar had with national office bearers of his party, including Praful Patel, Deepti Tripathi and Tariq Anwar, NCP sources said.

NCP leaders from the state, who have been touring various districts, had met Pawar on Saturday in New Delhi and conveyed their assessment of the party's strengths and weaknesses ahead of the polls.

"We are in favour of taking along the RPI factions and the Samajwadi Party with the Congress-NCP alliance," NCP leader and state Power Minister Sunil Tatkare had told reporters after the meeting.

The negotiating teams of the Congress and the NCP are expected to meet next week to discuss the seat-sharing formula for the Lok Sabha polls. NCP leaders have been demanding an equal share in the 48 Parliamentary constituencies in the state.

In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Congress had fielded nominees in 27 Parliamentary seats while NCP put up candidates in 21 constituencies. Congress had won 13 seats while NCP was victorious on nine.

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Amar Singh meets Pawar on tie-up in Maha for LS polls

In a bid to tie-up a seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra for the coming Lok Sabha polls, Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh on Sunday met NCP chief Sharad Pawar here.

The interaction was followed by a meeting Pawar had with national office bearers of his party including Praful Patel, Deepti Tripathi and Tariq Anwar, NCP sources said.

NCP leaders from the state, who have been touring various districts, had met Pawar yesterday here and conveyed their assessment of the party's strengths and weaknesses ahead of the polls.

"We are in favour of taking along the RPI factions and the Samajwadi Party with the Congress-NCP alliance," NCP leader and state Power Minister Sunil Tatkare had told reporters after the meeting.

The negotiating teams of the Congress and the NCP are expected to meet next week to discuss the seat-sharing formula for the Lok Sabha polls. NCP leaders have been demanding an equal share in the 48 Parliamentary constituencies in the state.

In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Congress had fielded nominees in 27 Parliamentary seats while NCP put up candidates in 21 constituencies. Congress had won 13 seats while NCP was victorious on nine.

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Dutt promises Gandhigiri, not to contest against vajpayee

Sanjay Dutt made his political debut in style in Lucknow on Saturday, with a roadshow which he himself led riding on a bike. But the newly minted ‘neta’ also declared he would not contest against Vajpayee.

"I respect Atalji a lot. He is like my father....If he contests election from here, then netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) has also asked me not to contest elections", Dutt told reporters here.

Asked about the reaction of Congress MP Priya Dutt to Sanjay's contesting the elections, Amar Singh said that she was like her younger sister and he himself, if Priya would permit, would campaign for her along with Sanjay in the coming Loksabha polls.

In reply to a question, Dutt, who appeared in the Munnabhai series of films based on Mahatma Gandhi's ideals, said his plank would be Gandhigiri in coming elections.

About what would he do against Mayawati government charged with corruption by SP, Dutt, reflecting Gandhigiri, said he would like to give her flowers.

On whether he would prefer Manyatta to be in fray for the seat if he would not be allowed by the court to contest the elections, Dutt said it would be decided by SP leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh.

Sanjay Dutt, who will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Lucknow constituency on a Samajwadi Party ticket, said at his first press conference as a ‘neta’ that he was looking forward to becoming a politician and serve the nation. Dutt also said that he was thankful to SP for giving him a chance to serve the people.

It was a star-studded press conference where Dutt was flanked by actors Manoj Tewari, Jaya Prada and Jaya Bachchan. He was also accompanied with his wife Manyatta and SP party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh.

On his decision to join to the SP, Dutt stated that post the demise of his father Sunil Dutt, he felt lonely. In this bleak time, it was Amar Singh who stayed alongside him, he added. After coming to Lucknow, Dutt said further, he feels that he is not alone.

Dutt thanked Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh for their support and especially mentioned Digvijay Singh -- a senior Congressmen -- for saying that it was wrong to arrest him (Sanjay) under TADA. Dutt noted that it was after 17 years when Congress had said something on his arrest.

He reiterated that his father did a lot for the nation and he looks forward to doing the same for the nation.

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