Congress meets NCP, mute on alliance

Mumbai: Owing to indications of early Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has already started chalking out a strategy for the polls. So much so that state president Ashok Chavan convened a meeting of all senior leaders on Tuesday at Tilak Bhavan to discuss the current political scenario. Also, Congress leaders met up with NCP leaders to decide the future of the alliance.

Congress even invited individuals, groups and NGOs to join hands with the party to fight against communal forces. However, the Congress was non-committal about forging an alliance with NCP. “All Congress leaders attended the meeting on Tuesday. There was political discussion about the present scenario. We feel that elections might be announced early, so we have started our preparation. We are conducting meetings across the state. On Tuesday, we invited social organisations and NGOs with a similar ideology to help us. They will help in communicating with people to fight communal and fascist forces,” Mr Chavan told reporters.

Asked about forging an alliance with the NCP, Chavan said that it had not yet been decided. “We are going to meet with NCP to discuss issues for the coming budget session of the legislature. We haven’t decided about an alliance with NCP. It is a decision to be taken by the party leadership in Delhi. We will not discuss about it now,” he said.

However, Congress leaders are hopeful of an alliance with NCP after the Shiv Sena snapped tied with BJP. “If Shiv Sena and BJP are contesting separately, Congress and NCP should come together. It is politically beneficial for the Congress-NCP as their votes will not be divided while Hindutva votes will be divided,” a senior Congress leader said on condition of anonymity.