Former Nepal PM Deuba on two day Mah tour from tommorrow

Mumbai, Jun 29 (UNI) Former Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is arriving in Maharashtra tommorrow on a two-day visit.

The Nepali Congress Prajatantrik party leader has been invited by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP),which is an ally of the Congress in governments in Maharashtra and at the Centre.

Addressing a press conference here today, NCP spokesman Dr Ratnakar Mahajan said Mr Deuba would visit Pune, Baramati to have a first hand information about the developmental activities in western Maharashtra and Baramati in particular tommorrow and Mumbai on Saturday. Baramati is the home turf of Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

The Nepali leader would deliver a speech on the current political situation back home at the ''Mumbai Dialogue'' seminar to be held on Saturday at the MIG club in Bandra,north west Mumbai at 1130 hrs, he informed.

He will also hold informal meetings with NCP leaders at the party office in south Mumbai later in the evening.

Replying to questions about party leader Shalinitai Patil's defiance on the reservation issue, Dr Mahajan said the process of action against Mrs Patil has already been initiated. He said he had nothing to say on her statements that the party would be finished if she was expelled.

On a query about the party's defeat in the Konkan division graduates constituency election to the Legislative council, Dr Mahajan said the party candidate was defeated by a slender margin.

'We have sought reports from the local officebearers and will take corrective action shortly'', he added.

To a question on the cross voting in the June one legislative council polls from the Legislative assembly constituency, Dr Mahajan said all political parties faced the problem. ''our candidate Usha Darade got elected in the 14th round. We have taken it seriously and two to three rounds of deliberations within the party have also been completed. The issue is not mere fault finding but for introspection. Whether there is need for changing the election procedure is also a matter of discussion'', he said.

Dr Mahajan said his party welcomed Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's visit to Vidarbha to take a first hand report on the farmers suicide.

NCP and the state government would request the Prime Minister for concrete and effective package to mitigate the hardships of the farmers, he added.

When asked about the possibility of alliance with the Congress in the forthcoming local bodies elections in the span of next one year, Dr Mahajan said the views of the local office- bearers and party workers would be sought before making any decision. ''At the same time, we also want to ensure that the Shiv Sena-BJP are not benefitted. If there is any problem in stitching an alliance, Congress can convene a co-ordination committee meeting to thrash out differences'', he said.

He also demanded that co-ordination committee meeting be convened in the next fortnight to discuss issues of co-ordination between parties and the government, organisation and political matters as well which have taken place in the last few months.

UNI MR ADG SHR HT1927