Mumbai : The NCP has proposed to join hands with the Congress in the coming legislative council elections, but with a rider. It wants an additional seat. According to state NCP president Sunil Tatkare, the decision was made at the meeting under the leadership of party president Sharad Pawar. Outcome of Bihar elections and the changing political situation in the state too was discussed at the meeting.
The meeting was attended by party’s Rajya Sabha members, MLCs, Zilla Parishad presidents and mayors.“Party chief Sharad Pawar has asked the state leaders to forge an alliance with Congress and other like-minded parties to put up a fight against BJP-led state government,” Tatkare said. Preliminary round of talk for an alliance with the Congress for the Legislative Council polls from eight local self government bodies, which are scheduled for next month, too has taken place, he added saying that the party has asked for an additional seat this time.
The Congress-NCP alliance broke up during the state assembly polls last year with the two deciding to contest separately. Eight seats of the Legislative Council would lie vacant after members from local self government bodies are scheduled to retire on January 1, 2016. Amrish Patel (Dhule Nandurbar local bodies), Mahadev Mahadik (Kolhapur local bodies), Rajendra Mulak (Nagpur local bodies), Bhai Jagtap (Mumbai municipal corporation) all members of the Congress; NCP’s Deepak Salunke (Solapur local bodies) and NCP supporter independent Arun Jagtap (Ahmednagar local bodies) are the members who would retire.
Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam (Mumbai) and Gopikishan Bajoria (Akola-Washim-Buldhana local bodies) are two Shiv Sena members who would retire on the same date. NCP has proposed to retain the 4:2 formula with the Congress, but also demanded the Akola-Washim-Buldhana seat, which was contested by the NCP last time narrowly losing to the Shiv Sena. “The quota for Mumbai is 75 and Shiv Sena has the required numbers to get Ramdas Kadam elected in the first round from Mumbai. We are waiting for the Congress response regarding our alliance proposal,” Tatkare said. “There will be 10 vacancies from the MLAs quota. If Congress-NCP alliance can be forged, we can get three out of the 10 seats,” he said.
