Tie-up for BMC polls: NCP points finger at Congress

Citing "adamant" stand taken by Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam, the NCP today said the ball over tie-up for next month's municipal corporation elections is in the court of Congress.
"Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam is adamant that his party will go alone in civic polls and hence there will be no electoral understanding in Mumbai between NCP and Congress. He had declared so a couple of months back.
"But if Ashok Chavan as the president of state unit of Congress can intervene using his influence and get the understanding done....," NCP state unit president Sunil Tatkare said.
He said the ball is in their (Congress') court, and "they have to decide and try for understanding in Mumbai."

Ten municipal corporations including Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nagpur, 25 Zilla Parishads and 283 Panchayat Samitis in state are scheduled to go to polls next month.
Tatkare reiterated that NCP will have a truck with the Congress in other parts of state except Mumbai.

He said NCP's first list of 45 candidates for the BMC polls, which was declared earlier, would be finalised at the party's Parliamentary Board meeting scheduled on January 19.
"As far as Thane is concerned, several rounds of talks (on alliance) had already been held and final outcome will be known in a couple of days," he said.

Tatkare said the NCP will make "rampant corruption at the behest by Shiv Sena in Thane and BMC as the main plank for polls."
The NCP leader said examples of Navi Mumbai and Pimpri Chinchwad civic bodies for doing "exemplary works" would be brought before people during electioneering.
He said the BJP would be ultimately rejected by rural people.
"Our only intention is to go with Congress and ensure that the communal forces do not attain power in civic bodies," he said.