Athawale will work out the exact nature of his alliance with the NCP in the next few days but his demands are that the NCP agree to the following seat-sharing formula: six Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, 40-50 Lok Sabha seats across the country, and 60 of the 288 seats in the state assembly. Besides, if the NCP combine assumes power in the state, Athawale has demanded 25 per cent share in power.

The decision to go with the NCP had a majority support in the party, he claimed. At the central executive committee meeting in New Delhi on July 18, as many as 31 ofthe 51 members chose to align with the NCP. At the state level, nine of the 13 executive committee members chose the NCP, he told a press conference today.

Athawale also gave indications that a split was now only a formality as at least three important leaders -- Prakash Ambedkar, Jogendra Kawade and R S Gavai -- did not go along with the executive committee decision. ``Though these leaders are not with us, 80 per cent of RPI activists at village level are backing me and supported the decision of the RPI joining hands with the NCP,'' he said.

The pro-NCP stance was inevitable as it was the only party that could take on the Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra since Pawar's expulsion has weakened the Congress and rendered it incapable of fighting the communal and casteist forces, he said.

He admitted that his talks with the Congress (I) failed on sharing of seats at national level. ``I had discussion with Congress (I) president Sonia Gandhi on June 14 and I was told that RPI will be given 35 seatsnationwide and six in the state. She had said that a senior party leader, probably Madhavrao Scindia, will coordinate with us for further talks. However, nothing happened for four days and there was no reply till the executive committee met. I think they were not interested in having an alliance with us,'' he said.

Athawale announced that RPI would not make Sonia's foreign nationality an issue. ``We are against amending the Constitution on this issue and we will not use it during campaign. We feel the people should take the final decision in this matter,'' he said.

Asked about another RPI leader R S Gavai's letter to the Election Commission of India claiming rights over the RPI's poll symbol, the rising sun, Athawale said the latter had no right to claim the symbol. He added that the Election Commission would give him a hearing next week before taking a final decision in the matter. The symbol has become important for both the leaders as the voters now identify the RPI with the rising sun like they do BJPwith the lotus.