NCP open to form alliance with Congress in Uttaranchal

Dehra Dun, Sep 15 (UNI) NCP general secretary D P Tripathy today said his party was open to form an alliance with the Congress here in view of the Assembly elections due early next year.

He said the Congress being a major political party in Uttaranchal, the NCP was open to form a coalition for fighting the Assembly elections. '' However, in case the Congress shows reluctance, the NCP is open to forge an alliance with other regional parties with a secular mindset,'' Mr Tripathy told reporters here.

He is in the state to attend the party's third National Convention beginning tomorrow.

''The main focus of the executive would include chalking out a strategy for the forthcoming Assembly elections in four states and making the UPA alliance stronger.'' he said.

Mr Tripathy said other issues likely to be discussed include tourism ''where we would moot the idea of developing Uttaranchal into Asia's Switzerland, and focus on agriculture in the state''.

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