New Delhi, Jan 17 A pressure group of non- Congress parties and outside supporters of UPA is being formed in an apparent bid to get maximum number of seats from the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and NCP president Sharad Pawar are hosting a get together of leaders of like minded parties, including RJD&aposs Lalu Prasad, LJP&aposs Ram Vilas Paswan and Trinamool Congress' Mamata Banerjee either on January 26 or the next day.

This was revealed by SP general secretary Amar Singh after a meeting with NCP leader Praful Patel and Mulayam Singh.

While Singh claimed that the grouping was not aimed at pressurising the Congress, it is being formed at the crucial time of seat sharing when the ruling party at the Centre is being subjected to increasing demands for larger number of seats by several of its allies.

The SP has already left the Congress red faced by unilaterally announcing as many as 52 seats from UP in the midst of seat sharing talks with the party.

NCP has demanded 26 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra from Congress and also wants 15 seats from other states, including Goa, Meghalaya and Gujarat.

Singh said that Pawar has conveyed"an important message of Sharad Pawar that come what may, the NCP-SP alliance in Maharashtra will continue," Singh said.

He claimed that Pawar has already informed Congress president Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary in charge of Maharashtra A K Antony about his stand.

The SP leader claimed that during the get together a strategy will be decided on carving out a niche in the UPA and"not to pressurise Congress, but to protect our existence within the coalition".