Widening trust deficit between the ruling Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has forced the duo to seriously explore an option of contesting separately the ensuing elections to the zilla parishad in 27 districts and in 10 municipal corporations slated for February next year. State chief minister Prithviraj Chavan announced at the party function held this morning here that the party has made necessary preparations to go solo in these elections.
State party unit chief Manikrao Thakre told Business Standard “The mood in all district office bearers is that the Congress party should not ally with NCP and therefore fight the ensuing elections alone. Majority of them feel that Congress should not succumb to the NCP’s pressure tactics instead lay emphasis on increasing its presence across the state and consolidate its position by accomodating several sections of the society.”
Thakre said the party is gearing up for the ensuing zilla parishad and civil elections in the state. “Next eight months are quite crucial for the party to strengthen the organisation and reach out to maximum number of people,” he informed.
Mohan Prakash, newly appointed general secretary in charge of the Maharashtra said “Congress has taken a policy decision to concentrate on regaining its past glory by focusing on strengthening organisational set up and also increasing its presence across the state. The party will focus on social equality until these elections and try to rope in members of minorities, backward classes, youths into the party fold.” He clarified that eventhough Congress and NCP are in running a coalition government both the parties have equal right to strengthen their organisations and grow.
Congress party’s move comes against the backdrop of NCP’s announcement to go solo in these elections if efforts between NCP and Congress fail to form alliance. NCP chief Sharad Pawar and the state deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar recently said that the NCP was keen to form an alliance with the Congress in these elections. However, the duo indicated that NCP was prepared to fight these elections alone if there would not be any understanding. NCP state unit chief Madhukar Pichad said the party, which is being criticised for pro Maratha party, would make all out efforts to reach out to youths, women, minorities in particular.
Congress’s move is also crucial when a large mumber of party legislatiors and ministers had openly criticised NCP and the finance minister Ajit Pawar for making less allocation to the Congress ministers in the annual budget for 2011-12. Further, they had openly attacked the finance minister for not leaving any opportunity to checkmate the Congress party.
However, the analyst said the decisions of Congress and NCP not to truck alliance may bring cheers to the opposition Shiv Sena and BJP. Despite, several differences and threats to severe alliance, the saffron Shiv Sena and BJP have decided to continue their alliance even during ZP and civic elections. They believe that the saffron alliance would ultimately retain its power in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation if both the Congress and NCP decide to go solo.