NCP may not have tie-up for ZP polls if Cong not keen: Pawar

Mumbai, Feb 26 (PTI) NCP chief and Union AgricultureMinister Sharad Pawar today said that his party would go italone in Zilla Parishad polls in Maharashtra, if Congress wasnot keen to have alliance.

"In any coalition one always goes with like-mindedparties, and both the parties should compromise by discussingthe issue. But if the other member is keen on going it alone,then we don''t have any other option," Pawar told reportersafter a meeting of party leaders in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

Pawar also said that Muslims would be given moreopportunities in the selection of candidates for ZillaParishad polls.

"There are not many Muslim members on Zilla Parishads,compared to Dalits and women. The party''s effort would be tofield more Muslim candidates this time," he said.

Regarding the proposed Jaitapur nuclear power plant,Pawar said it was necessary to overcome power deficit in thestate.

"The state had ample power up to 1995 but today we arefacing a power crisis. Jaitapur project would generate powerat a cheaper rate," he said.

Pawar assured that Jaitapur project would not affectenvironment, comparing it with the Enron power plant set up inthe same Konkan region in the 1990s.

"The Enron project also faced opposition then. But thepower situation would have worsened if we had not got it then.

It had no impact on environment," he said. .