National   

NCP-Congress tie-up on the cards

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI, JAN. 11. The Nationalist Congress Party is close to firming up an alliance with the Congress notwithstanding the call of the senior party leader, P.A. Sangma, who favours a tie-up with the National Democratic Alliance.

At a meeting of senior leaders of the Maharashtra unit here today, the NCP chief, Sharad Pawar, heard the views of the party men who felt that an alliance with the BJP-led NDA would be counter-productive both to the long-term and short-term interests of the party. The synergy between the Congress and the NCP was cited as the best reason why they should forge an alliance.

The State unit had authorised Mr. Pawar to decide on poll alliances. At today's meeting, the signal to Mr. Pawar was: go with the Congress.

An announcement of the intent to align with the Congress across the States, with the possibilities of such a move in Meghalaya and other north-eastern States, would however have to await the formal discussions at the NCP's National Working Committee in New Delhi on January 14. The Maharashtra Working Committee members would make a strong pitch, sources said, to persuade Mr. Sangma to fall in line.

All the 48 Lok Sabha seats of Maharashtra were discussed at today's meeting held at the residence of the Deputy Chief Minister, Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, to the extent that possible swaps between the Congress(I) and the NCP-held seats were considered. The minimum sharing of 50 per cent of seats by the two parties was set as the goal.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• BJP `road map' to transform India into global economic power
• Gill for Governor's rule before elections
• PM yet to decide on polls
• Paswan sees two-phase realignment of political forces
• Venkaiah hails NDA as model of `unity in diversity'
• BJP describes SAARC developments as historic
• Tough times ahead for BJP: Gowda
• NCP-Congress tie-up on the cards
• Reward to blacken Rushdie's face
• Laloo says 'no' to honour
• Draft Bill on HIV/AIDS soon
• Separate Pay Commission for High Court staff suggested
• Shape of digital lifestyle to come?
• CPI leader dead
• Narasimha Rao 'ready to serve the country'

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu