PANAJI: The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president, Mr Subhash Shirodkar has said that Congress could contest as many as 34 seats in the upcoming assembly elections to the state legislative assembly scheduled for March 3, if a deal was struck with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), its pre-poll alliance partner.

In a brief interview to The Navhind Times, Mr Shirodkar said that the talks for firming up pre-poll alliance with Nationalist Congress Party were in final stages and a decision was expected by February 1. He also said that none from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) were in talks with him on the issue of alliance.

He also said that the final list of Congress nominees would be released by the end of the next week. "The number of seats and the list of party nominees would surely be declared by February 5," he said adding that Congress high command has right to nominate candidates other than those who have applied for party ticket, who have been loyal to the party and had mass contacts.

He further said that no decision has been taken on giving more than one ticket in a family of the Congress leaders and that it was for the Congress high command to take a call on it. He further said that the issue would be debated in the meeting of the central election committee of the Congress before a decision was arrived at.

Asked to comment on infighting and probable revolt by Congressmen on being denied tickets to contest the elections, he said that "rebellion" was nothing new to Congress and that it also existed in other parties. "We have dealt with such situations in the past and we are confident to deal with it in future," he added. The Congress party has managerial skills to deal with such a situation, he said.

He also said that the state Congress has drawn a list of 40 senior central Congress leaders for campaigning in the state, including the party president, Ms Sonia Gandhi, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, the Human Resource Development Minister, Mr Kapil Sibal, Congress general secretary, Mr Rahul Gandhi, the Union Minister of State, Mr Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ms Priyanka Vadra, among others.

Mr Shirodkar further said that Congress would get majority on its own by bagging 22 seats, since the prevailing political conditions were in its favour and that the seats bagged by the NCP would add to the tally of the pre-poll alliance partners.