Congress-Sena join hands for ZP polls, seniors deny it

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena and Congress have different ideologies but the local leaders of both parties have joined hands for the zilla parishad polls in Raigad, Parabhani and Osmanabad scheduled for February 16 and 21. It’s no surprise than that in the past few days, the Sena has been singing praises of the works done by the Congress during the UPA regime. However, senior Congress leaders said that there could not be any official alliance with the Sena, and that the local leaders will have to face music for this.

Meanwhile, photos of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and late Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray on a poster for the Raigad zilla parishad went viral on Sunday. “Congress local Ravishet Patil was keen for the alliance,” the sources said.

Taking this opportunity to lambaste the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state president who hails from Raigad region Sunil Tatkare said, “Congress joining hands with communal forces like Shiv Sena is shocking. We had offered them seats in Raigad but they refused. Now, they are contesting with the Sena. Union minister of Shiv Sena, Anant Gite officially announced the alliance. This cannot happen without notice of the party president,” Mr Tatkare said. He even added that a similar alliance has been forged in Parbhani and Osmanabad zilla parishads too.

Congress in-charge for Raigad district Naseem Khan however, refuted the claims. “There is no alliance with Shiv Sena. The reports are rubbish. We will take strict action against the local leaders if they join hands with communal parties like Sena,” Mr Khan said.

This is not the first time that the Congress is going with right-wing parties. In 2015, Congress went with the BJP in Gondia zilla parishad in Vidarbha. The party did not take any action against the local leader at that time.