M A I N   N E W S

NCP, Cong too fail to patch up, call it quits
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, September 25
Within hours of the Shiv Sena-BJP break-up, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also decided to go their separate ways in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

While the Congress spokesperson announced the end of the alliance in New Delhi, NCP leader Praful Patel made the announcement in Mumbai.

Patel said the NCP had grown in strength over the past few years and wanted to contest the elections on an equal footing with the Congress. But the national party did not acknowledge the strength of the NCP, he added. “The NCP will now contest the Assembly elections on its own,” Patel said.

“We have been with the Congress for the past 15 years in Maharashtra and around 10 years at the Centre. We established the NCP in 1999 and took a different stand in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections at that time.

“The circumstances were such that the state government could not have been formed had both parties not come together. The NCP has always advocated a secular government both at the Centre and in the state.”

“And because of that ideology, we went for a tie-up with the Congress although we did fight against each other. In 2004 as well, the NCP maintained a stand that there has to be a progressive and secular government at the Centre. The NCP has always supported the Congress. In the past 15 years, all our party workers, MLAs, MPs have supported the Congress responsibly,” he said.

NCP leader Sunil Tatkare said his party was taken by surprise when the Congress released its first list of candidates on Wednesday.

All four parties were expected to name their candidates on Friday. The last date for filing of nominations is Saturday.

Congress to blame The NCP has grown in strength over the past few years and wanted to contest the elections on an equal footing with the Congress. But the Congress did not acknowledge the strength of the NCP... The NCP will now contest the Assembly elections on its own. — Praful Patel, ncp leader