NCP indicates poll tie-up with Cong not at cost of self-respect

Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday took aggressive posture saying that it was in favour of entering into an alliance with Congress for ensuing assembly poll in Maharashtra but announced that it won't be out of sheer helplessness and not at the cost of self respect. NCP also dropped hint that if the seat sharing arrangement do not work with Cogress it was prepared to contest all 288 seats on its own.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar while launching the party's campaign for the assembly election slated for October said his party's talks with Congress for poll alliance were underway and decision is expected soon in this regard. However, he told party members that if NCP and Congress strike poll arrangement then the party will have to do joint poll campaign with Congress.

Pawar's confidant and former union minister Praful Patel at the outset put at rest speculation that NCP was joining hands with BJP-Shiv Sena.

''Had NCP wanted it would have joined hands with the saffron alliance after 1999 assembly election which NCP and Congress fought separately. However, NCP took a secular line and joined Congress to form the government. NCP is quite hopeful for poll ties with Congress but by protecting self respect,'' he noted.

Statement by Pawar and Patel come at a time when Congress after August 20 had not discussed the poll alliance talk with NCP. Congress has simply rejected NCP's demand for an equal share during seat sharing.

Pawar hoped that the people would "elect us for the fourth consecutive term." "There was talk of 'a wave' in the country during the Lok Sabha polls. However, the results of Lok Sabha polls and state polls vary. People of the state will wisely decide whom to hand over the reins," he added.

"We are going to face the people seeking votes because we want to make Maharashtra a progressive state," Pawar said.

Pawar took on BJP President Amit Shah who just two days ago at the party meeting in Mumbai had blamed Congress-NCP government for its involvement in corruption of Rs 11.88 lakh crore during its 15 year old rule. However, Pawar said , "His (Shah's) diary is full of dates of court cases, so how he has the right to allege scams against Maharashtra government."

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar also rubbished BJP chief's allegation. "How can there be scams of Rs 11.8 lakh crore when the entire budget outlay of Maharashtra in the last 15 years of our regime was Rs 3.75 lakh crore?" Ajit Pawar said.