Should strengthen selves instead of blaming NCP: Chavan

Asking Congressmen in the state to introspect, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan today said the party should put its house in order before pointing an accusing finger at its ally NCP.

"...The need of the hour is to correct our weaknesses. Instead of blaming the NCP, we have to strengthen ourselves," Chavan told PTI. 

He said alliance with NCP was a necessity to keep the Shiv Sena-BJP out of power. "But that should not stop us from strengthening our own base," he said.

To a query on NCP's role in ensuring division of secular votes in constituencies where Congress was contesting, Chavan said,"I don't know whether NCP is responsible. But it is a fact." 

Replying to a question on his predecessor Vilasrao Deshmukh's stand that Congress should have fought the polls on its own, Chavan said, "The decision to go alone should have been taken in 2004...We should have sat in the opposition so that we would have got enough time to prepare to contest alone. You can't start studying just on the eve of the examination." 

To a query on if the Congress fails to form government after the polls and NCP does not remain in the UPA, Chavan said, "Party's interest was bigger than staying in power."