NCP to play decisive role after poll results

Nagpur, Jan. 27 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel today hinted his party would have tie-ups with secular parties and play a 'decisive role' in Nagpur and Mumbai after the February 1 civic elections there.

Speaking to newsmen here, Mr Patel said post-poll alliances at these and other places were being worked out to keep communal forces out of power.

Expressing confidence that the NCP would put up a good performance, Patel, who was in the city to campaign for his party's candidates, said other parties were in a bad shape and people had experienced their inefficient rule. Besides, the NCP was now in a better position than it was at the civic elections five years ago, when it was new and had not established its base, he said.

The NCP's main fight this time was with the Shiv Sena-BJP combine, he said.

Mr Patel refused to comment on the justification sought by Maharashtra Airports Development Company (MADC) from Boeing for the aviation giant's demand for eighty acres of land for its proposed maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO) hub in Nagpur. The central government only wanted MADC to speedily complete the land acquisition for the proposed Multi-modal International Air Passenger and Cargo Hub project in the city, which included the MRO hub, he said.

MADC Managing Director R C Sinha had said here earlier this month that MADC had asked for justification from Boeing since the area sought was much more than the company would require. Even the largest of such hubs in other parts of the world were located on 30 or 35 acres of land, he said.

UNI