Genre: News > India

March 20, 2009: Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday finalized seat-sharing for Maharashtra Lok Sabha elections to be held in next month.

According to the agreement, Congress would contest polls from 26 parliamentary seats, while NCP would fight elections in 22 constituencies.

Both the parties had announced alliance for general elections in the state earlier this month, however, did not reach consensus over some seats.  

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Background

Congress Party, which is also known as the Indian National Congress, is India's oldest party founded in 1885.

 

Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendranath Banerjee and Allan Octavian Hume are some of its founders.

 

The Indian National Congress spearheaded the Indian independence struggle, which was against the British rule in India.

 

After independence in 1947, it became one of India's most prominent political parties.

 

It also leads the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) coalition.

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