Cong, NCP to join hands in C'garh assembly polls

Raipur, May 18 (UNI) The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have begun work on the strategy of fighting the Chhattisgarh assembly elections slated for 2008 in an alliance.

State NCP President Nobel Verma told UNI that initial talks in this regard had begun.

He said the NCP had supported Congress candidates from Malkhauda and Khairagarh assembly seats after discussions were held between Congress incharge General Secretary Mukul Vasnik and NCP General Secretary D P Tripathi.

The NCP, which waged a pitched battle against the then Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, three-and-half years back, is confident that Mr Jogi is not in a position to scuttle its alliance with the Congress.

Mr Verma claimed that Mr Jogi's status in the party was same as that of Congress MP Deobrat Singh.

He said state Congress President Charandas Mahant, senior Congress leader Motilal Vora and Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma were of the view that both the parties must fight against the BJP together.

According to Verma, Mr Mahant had approached the NCP to ask support for the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha seat and then for the Malakhrauda and the Khairagarh assembly seats.

The NCP had received 7.6 per cent votes during the last assembly polls, while the difference of votes between the Congress and the BJP was mere 1.5 per cent. The Congress needs to join hands with the NCP if it wanted to come to power in the state.

The NCP hoped to get 10-15 seats but the party was demanding 25-30 seats.

NCP leaders are enthusiastic over the prospects of poll alliance with the Congress.

Mr Verma said both the parties had entered into seat adjustment for assembly polls in Goa, where the NCP had been provided nine seats in the 40-seat assembly. The party in Chhattisgarh must also get seats in the same proportion.

He described speculations of the NCP merging into the Congress as baseless.

UNI