New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s ambitious plans to rope in Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in National Democratic Alliance (NDA), to cause a setback to an embattled Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, have failed.

"I think it is difficult to take the plan to fruition given the problems in seat-sharing," BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan, who had played a key role in the process, told said today (Jan 6, 2004).

The plan came a cropper as the Maratha strongman appeared to have disagreed with the share of seats that could have come the NCP way in Maharashtra, having 48 Lok Sabha seats, second only to Uttar Pradesh.

However, NCP general secretary P A Sangma, who has strong views against aligning with Congress, today met Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani.

Neither side commented on what transpired at the meeting.