Talks are on with Cong for Legislative Council polls: NCP

NCP today said it has authorised its district and city units to take a call on forming alliances for the forthcoming municipal council and nagar panchayat polls in Maharashtra while talks are on with Congress for a pact for Legislative Council elections.
"The leadership has authorised district and city units to take a decision regarding alliances with like minded parties. A meeting has been convened on October 26 to take a feedback from the local leadership regarding finalising strategy for the polls," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told reporters here.
Asked about the Legislative Council polls slated for November 19, Mailk said talks are on with the Congress and final decision is yet to be taken.

"All parties have right to contest on their own. We feel the party which contested the seat last time should field their candidates again," the spokesperson added.
Malik also alleged that the ruling BJP had admitted people with criminal background into its fold including Riyaz Bhati, an alleged aide of don Dawood Ibrahim.
"Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should clarify why Bhati, who was earlier arrested for possessing two passports and was arrested by the ATS last year, was admitted to the BJP, made executive committee member of the Mumbai BJP and now given police protection," Malik said.

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Meanwhile, Maharashtra BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari

hit out at NCP for levelling charges about his party's links with Bhati.
In a statement, Bhandari said BJP has nothing to do with Bhati.
"Bhati is member of a club associated with the Mumbai Cricket Association. BJP leader Ashish Shelar is MCA vice- president, while Sharad Pawar is the (MCA) president," the spokesperson said.
Bhandari said, "NCP should address questions of Bhati's criminal links to Pawar."
Sharad Pawar is the national president of NCP.
"NCP should not try to link Bhati with BJP or any other leader. BJP will file a defamation suit against NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik," he added.

Mumbai unit of BJP has not announced its executive committee, so there is no question of Bhati being a member. Bhati was voter in the MCA election and has been included in a special MCA committee, he said.