Anna's close associate to contest polls on NCP tickets

Ralegan Siddhi, Jan 10: Social activist Anna Hazare's close associate and Ralegan Siddhi sarpanch Jaisingh Mapare is set to contest next month's Zilla Parishad elections from Wadegavan constituency on a National Congress Party (NCP) ticket.

Sources said that Mapare had ended up his all relationships with NCP during the past one year when he was actively involved in the Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement across the country.

Meanwhile, NCP has approached him with a proposal of his candidature and party has invited Mapare for a formal interview on Jan 12 at Ahmednagar.

Earlier, in last year Oct Mr Mapare had led a delegation from Anna's village Ralegan Siddhi to the New Delhi to meet Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi but return without meeting him.

Later, Mapare publicly announced that he would never go to meet Rahul Gandhi in the future even he was invited by Rahul Gandhi. Reacting to issue Congress claimed that it happened in results of a communication gap.