NCP's alliance with Cong to continue in LS polls: Pichad

Asserting that its alliance with Congress would continue, NCP today said it has taken stock of the political situation in the 22 Lok Sabha constituencies it had contested in 2009 as general elections can happen anytime.
Maharashtra NCP president Madhukar Pichad told reporters here that party chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar had reviewed the party position in the 22 seats it had contested last time.
"He has told us that NCP will fight the Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the Congress. Pawar also asked the state unit to ensure that there is effective co-ordination between the two alliance partners," Pichad said adding that Pawar has already had a meeting with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regarding alliance.

Pichad also said Pawar had informed the party that Lok Sabha elections could be held any time and it had to be prepared to face the electorate. "All eyes are on whether the Finance Bill is passed on April 30," Pichad said.
Giving details of the two-day deliberations that Pawar held with the state unit from yesterday, Pichad said since candidates with winning capability would be fielded, there was a talk about asking the senior state cabinet ministers to contest the Lok Sabha elections. "However, no decision has been taken," he added.
Pawar held constituency-wise discussions with district presidents, legislators, MPs, candidates, who lost the election and local bodies representatives of the party in all the 22 Lok Sabha seats. "Pawar took review of the political situation in these constituencies and gave a patient hearing to the problems faced at the grass-root organisational level," he said.