Congress dares NCP to break its ties with saffron parties in local bodies

Congress' victory in Sangli municipal corporation served as the trigger

The ruling Congress party in Maharashtra on Monday dared its co-partner, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to severe its links with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena alliance in various local and civic bodies.

“The NCP should immediately break its unholy tie up with saffron parties, which is currently in place in some local and civic bodies in the state. If there is any such alliance of the Congress party, it would be severed immediately,” said Manikrao Thakre, state Congress president.

The Congress’ remarks came after the Sangli-Miraz-Kupwad civic polls. The voting for the election was held on Sunday and results were announced on Monday afternoon.

Of the 76 seats, the Congress bagged 40 while the NCP managed to retain merely 18 seats. Eight seats were bagged by the BJP and its allies, nine were won by independents and one by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

Despite having an alliance in the state and central government, the Congress and the NCP contested against each other in the polls.

Thakre slammed the NCP for hurling abuses on Congress ministers and leaders during the campaigning. He said he would soon request Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to convene a coordination meeting as the NCP had ‘crossed its limits’.He said the NCP should have maintained restraint in levelling charges against Congress ministers and leaders, especially when the alliance government is ruling the state.

Thakre was non-committal on whether the Congress party would or would not ally with the NCP in the coming general elections.

“This decision would be taken by the party high command. But, the party is receiving feedback from its members that the Congress would come out stronger if it breaks its alliance with the NCP,” he said.