After going solo in the Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayat elections currently underway in Maharashtra, NCP said it was ready for a tie-up with “big brother Congress” for coming Corporation and Zilla Parishad polls early next year.
“A meeting has been convened on December 28 in Pune to take stock of the partys performance in the recent local bodies’ polls and to chalkout strategy for the coming Corporation and Zilla Parishad polls. Party chief Sharad Pawar will preside over the deliberations,” state unit Chief Sunil Tatkare said.
Tatkare said NCP was keen on alliance for the election to Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats but it did not materialise. “However, we are ready for a tie-up for coming elections,” he added.
On Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam already declaring that his party will be going alone in the civic polls, Tatkare said, “Congress considers itself as the big brother in Mumbai. The party should clarify its position. We are ready for talks.”
Tatkare said, “NCP would have emerged as single largest party in the Municipal Council polls had there been no direct election to the post of Municipal President.”
In the three phases NCP has so far won 786 seats and 21 municipal council presidents’ post.
Asked about Shiv Sena criticising the government, he said, “The party is in two minds whether to stay in power or be in Opposition.”
On foundation stone laying ceremony of Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial in the Arabian sea by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 24, the NCP leader said, “The party was all for the memorial. It was because of some delay in obtaining NOC from the Centre, the ceremony did not happen during the Congress-NCP regime.”
Earlier, 10 corporators from Congress, Samajwadi Party and other local outfits in Akola joined the NCP.
