New Delhi: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday
expressed readiness to do business with Congress to capture as
many city and district councils in Maharashtra as possible and
wanted both the parties to act unitedly where they lacked
majority.
Pawar's remarks after a meeting with state party leaders
were significant as they signalled that NCP did not want
Congress to align with other parties or Independents in a few
local bodies at its cost.
He said NCP would help Congress where it has more number
of seats but is lacking majority and Congress should
reciprocate.
"First NCP and Congress should work together and then
unitedly decide to extend support to other parties whereever
necessary," he said.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit
Pawar, senior party leaders Chhagan Bhujbal, Jayant Patil, RR
Patil, Madhukar Pichad and state in-charge DP Tripathi.
"NCP and Congress are working together at the Centre and
state level and we reached a conclusion that similar
cooperation should continue at the city and district council
level also," he said.
Expressing satisfaction over his party's performance, he
said such an approach would lead to Congress and NCP wresting
control of maximum city and district councils in the state.
Senior Congress leader Mohan Prakash said that state
leaders of both the parties have decided to work togehter and
sort out differences.
Pawar admitted there were extreme differences among
Congress and NCP leaders in some districts and the same should
be ironed out by the senior leadership of both the parties.
While Pawar was satisfied over his party emerging "number
one" in the local body elections, Congress said it expected a
better performance.
Pawar said NCP won 1026 seats in panchayat committee
elections followed by Congress (865), Shiv Sena (497), BJP
(401) and MNS (42).
In the elections to 27 district councils, NCP was
victorious on 525 seats followed by Congress (459), Shiv Sena
(255), BJP (198) and MNS (19), he said.
Pawar said 267 NCP men were elected to city councils and
corporations followed by Congress (263), Shiv Sena (226), BJP
(204) and MNS (112).
PTI
First Published: Monday, February 20, 2012, 23:05