Cong-NCP alliance restricted to 4 districts for mun council polls

Mumbai, Oct 18 (UNI) Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) today said that it will have an alliance with the NCP and other secular parties in four districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri, Jalna and Beed for the ensuing November 19 elections to 166 Municipal Councils and two Nagar Panchayats.

Addressing a press conference, MPCC spokesman Hussain Dalwai said the party had decided to go alone in the upcoming elections except in places where Congress was weak or the Shiv Sena-BJP was strong.

''The district leaders have been authorised to take decisions regarding alliances. We decided to go alone as the NCP President Sharad Pawar during his party's state-level meeting in Nasik earlier this year and even the grassroot level Congress workers were of the opinion that going alone in the elections would give the local activists chance to contest elections,'' Mr Dalwai said.

Mr Dalwai said the state Congress had conveyed its views to the AICC which in return endorsed the MPCC move and left the decision of alliance to district units.

He said the main aim of the Congress was to restrict the communal forces like Shiv Sena-BJP from gaining ground in the state.

Replying to questions, Mr Dalwai ridiculed the Shiv Sena-BJP for opposing Pakistan playing cricket matches in Mumbai. ''This is nothing but an issue they want to raise in view of the crucial elections to Mumbai Municipal Corporation in March next year. The saffron parties have no other issue concerning Mumbaikars left,'' he charged.

Mr Dalwai said when even when the Indo-Pak relations were strained, cricket matches were held. ''Today, peace process is continuing. The 7/11 blasts case in which Pakistan is being named as the perpetrator is being handled separately,'' he said.

UNI MR KU SY RK1925