Tie-up with Cong for Zilla Parishad polls likely, says Tatkare

NCP's Maharashtra unit president Sunil Tatkare today said alliance with Congress for Zilla Parishad (ZP) polls is likely to take place due to positive feedback from his party's district units.
"District units of both Congress and NCP were in talks to explore an alliance for ZP elections in Beed, Latur, Hingoli, Nanded, Jalna, Buldhana, Yavatmal, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar," Tatkare told reporters here.
"Alliance with Congress for ZP polls is likely to take place due to positive feedback from NCP's district units," he added.
He said these districts along with Aurangabad, Parbhani, Osmanabad, Wardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli go to polls in the first phase of ZP elections on February 16.

Tatkare said at the district review meeting he chaired today, district units from 9 districts conveyed to him that alliance talks with their Congress counterparts were going on and a final decision is expected soon.
For the second phase of the polls in 11 districts on February 21, NCP will approach Congress for an alliance, if there is no proposal for the same, he added.

Tatkare also said "his party was not desperate for an alliance with Congress and only wanted to avoid division of secular votes".
Tatkare also said since Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam had announced earlier that his party was not keen on an alliance with NCP, the Sharad Pawar-led outfit had no option but to go ahead with announcement of 45 candidates for the February 21 BMC polls.

"Our second list (for the BMC polls) will be finalised in a day or two," the former Maharashtra Minister added.
"Women and youth were aspiring for NCP ticket for ZP polls in large numbers. This shows that our party's roots are strong," claimed Tatkare.
Tatkare further said that the ZP polls were an opportunity to prove NCP's strength in the state and expressed confidence that the party would do well.
Replying to questions, Tatkare said Congress and NCP alliance "talks for Thane Municipal Corporation polls are in advanced stage".
To a query on tie-up parleys between ruling allies BJP and Shiv Sena, he said ,"if the alliance materialises, it will benefit us since all those from the opposition who had joined the two parties will be disappointed.