from daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji, May 12: Congress has said it will strike an alliance with its coalition partner NCP for Goa assembly elections on June 2.

"We will fight elections together and seat-sharing is almost finalized,'' AICC general secretary Margaret Alva told reporters.

She said Congress will contest 34 seats and NCP six.

"The negotiations are still on as they (NCP) are demanding couple of more seats,'' Alva said.

She stated that the UPA partners - Congress and NCP - will have joint public meeting as a part of election campaign.

NCP and Congress fought elections independently during the last elections with Congress contesting all the 40 seats and NCP 20.

The elections saw almost all NCP candidates except one - Wilfred D'Souza (Saligao) - biting the dust while Congress managed to win 16 seats.

As no party could get absolute majority, smaller parties joined hands with the BJP and a new government was formed under the leadership of saffron party's Manohar Parrikar.

The Congress and NCP, however, came together in 2005 to pull down the Parrikar government and get majority through by-elections in five constituencies.

Both the parties are now ruling the state along with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).