NCP weighs going it alone in Maharashtra local body elections

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Saturday held a brainstorming session to assess the party’s preparedness to go it alone in the zilla parishad and municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra, slated for 2012.

NCP, being criticised as a Maratha-centric party, also decided to reach out to the other backward classes (OBC), scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST), muslims and women to broaden its network and consolidate its position across the state. The party’s exercise comes at a time when a large number of district presidents of the Congress, who recently met in Mumbai, opposed any alliance with NCP. Congress members argued that the electoral truck had helped NCP grow at the cost of the Congress party.

At the day-long session on panchayati raj in Navi Mumbai, ministers and party members in panchyati raj institutions made spirited speeches in favour of NCP trying its electoral luck alone to capture most seats in the 35 zilla parishads. Currently, NCP has eight zilla parishads under its control, while the rest are held by the Congress and Shiv Sena-BJP alliance. Besides, NCP plans to increase its seats and win mayoral elections in various municipal corporations.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Home Minister RR Patil were at the forefront of the belief that NCP should contest the elections on its own. The duo said NCP was currently the Congress party’s ally in the state government, but also called upon the party members to be ready for a solo show.

NCP President Sharad Pawar said his party would prefer to maintain coalition in the state. “However, if the Congress party differs, it is free to do so in the democratic set up. At such a time, NCP should be prepared enough to face the elections alone. I would expect that the party will not join hands with non-secular and non-pragmatic forces in the coming elections,” Pawar said. He also warned the party members that there would be no place for those who were running parallel organisations in the name of castes. “Such people will not be entertained in the party. NCP will continue to broad base its presence by reaching out to various castes and religions,” he added.

Pawar exhorted party members to see that Muslims got representation in ticket distribution and they were elected in the coming zilla parishad elections. “It is ironical that no sizeable representation is given to the Muslim community by political parties, including NCP. Very few party members are seen even during the electoral campaign of Muslim representatives. NCP should attempt to solidly stand behind every Muslim member in the elections,” he added.