Coming to Maharashtra, the Congress has performed relatively better than the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Congress cadres are keen that we fight alone. The political situation in Maharashtra is unique: a division of votes between us is only important in areas where the Shiv Sena or the BJP pose a serious threat. But in areas like Western Maharashtra, where the Shiv Sena has virtually no existence and there are just the Congress and the NCP in the fray, let the people decide which Congress is better. If we do not get an absolute majority then we can join hands again—we are secular parties. I would not like to jump to the conclusion that we should fight it out alone there. It will have to be a carefully considered decision which the high command will take.

•Vaibhav Vats: In Mumbai, the Congress largely won because of the split in the vote between the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and the Shiv Sena. Was the Congress the beneficiary of a vote split rather than of good governance in Maharashtra?

Together we got 25 seats out of 48, which is nothing great. There was a time when the Congress used to get 47 out of 48. But for the split in votes between the NCP and the Congress, we would have won all the seats. The MNS did get some votes and did divide Sena-BJP votes and maybe we got the benefit in some Mumbai constituencies because of it. But that did not happen across Maharashtra.

... contd.