NCP not our ally for BMC elections: Ashok Chavan

Mumbai: The Congress has made it clear that it won’t forge an alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. However, in the same breath it said it would ally itself with the NCP for the council polls.

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress committee (MPCC) chief Ashok Chavan announced there would be no alliance with the NCP in the coming BMC elections, on Monday.

“There is a limited possibility of both parties coming together. Our Mumbai leaders are not ready for it,” he said after a MPCC meeting in Mumbai to discuss the strategy for upcoming civic bodies and zilla panchayat elections. However, he added, “The final decision will be taken in Delhi.”

Mr Chavan, Opposition leader in legislative assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, ex-chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, ex-home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, senior leaders like Narayan Rane and Patangrao Kadam also attended the meeting.

On Monday’s meeting took place after NCP Chief Sharad Pawar made a public appeal to the Congress to form an alliance. At a rally in Satara recently Mr Pawar had said, “Looking at the output of recent municipal council elections, it would be wise for both Congress and NCP to go it together. But as Congress is the elder brother, it has to take a decision”.

According to sources, there was strong difference of opinion over Mr Pawar’s appeal and the prospects of an alliance with NCP in the MPCC. In such situation, the MPCC avoids to take any decision about its Mumbai unit.

Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam has been pushing for contesting elections without the NCP. “We have already said that we want to go it on our own. Now we will request the central leadership for the same and get approval” said Mr Nirupam.

Taking the same line, the MPCC has empowered its district and other city units to decide on whether or not to contest the polls in alliance with the NCP.  Though MPCC has handed over the decision to its local bodies units, the legislative council polls pact with the NCP has been sealed. Elections for teachers’ and graduates’ council constituencies also scheduled for February 3. In these elections, out of five seats, Congress will contest three i.e. Nagpur teachers’ constituency, Amaravati and Nashik graduates’ constituencies. The NCP will have its candidate in Aurangabad teachers’ constituency and NCP’s partner, People’s and Workers Party (PWP), will fight in Konkan teachers’ constituency.