Cong-NCP will fight Maha Assembly polls together: CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today said the Congress and NCP will fight upcoming Assembly elections in the state together like the Lok Sabha polls.
"Both the coalition partners have fought the Lok Sabha polls through a cohesive campaign in the view of formidable challenge and both parties will stay together for Assembly polls as well," Chavan told reporters here.
He also met NCP president and Union Minister Sharad Pawar at Sahaydri Guest House in the evening to "discuss the Local Body Tax (LBT) issue".
"LBT is in force in all municipal corporations except Mumbai. Traders oppose the LBT saying that the government can increase the surcharge on VAT and scrap LBT. But, mayors oppose the demand to scrap LBT, saying that the amount generated through surcharge will go the state treasury and civic bodies will have to depend on state government funds which will hurt the financial autonomy," the chief minister said.

Chavan also informed that the government had disbursed financial aid of Rs 1,500 crore to hailstorm-affected farmers.
"The compensation has been deposited in the bank account of the farmers," he said, adding that 95 per cent of the disbursal has been done so far.

Hitting out at BJP leader Narendra Modi, Chavan said he had never seen a prime ministerial aspirant indulging in personal attacks.
"He has run a hollow campaign. Modi is behaving as if he does not require support of regional players. He polarised votes and hence Congress had to retaliate," Chavan said.
Chavan also rejected the speculation that Priyanka Gandhi had upstaged Rahul Gandhi as the leader of the Congress campaign. "She has always campaigned in the two constituencies of Amethi and Rae Bareli and she is doing it even now," he added.

Elections are slated for October-November this year.