Mumbai: The NCP has the option of contesting
the upcoming local bodies elections on its own despite its
stand that secular votes should not be divided, party chief
and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said here on Thursday.
Talking to reporters, Pawar said in 2007 too, both
Congress and NCP did not have a pre-poll alliance for the
local bodies elections.
"If our allies want to go separate ways for the local
bodies polls, it is their right and we cannot insist
otherwise. Our party will get an opportunity to contest all
seats and we are making preparations on that front. I am not
aware what is the current stand of Congress on the issue of
alliance," Pawar said.
Earlier in the day, Pawar met senior leaders from the
state and Mumbai unit of the party and discussed the political
situation in the metropolis where civic polls will be held in
early 2012.
Sources said the factionalism in the party was also
discussed and several office bearers demanded that the current
city unit president Narendra Varma be replaced.
The party had put five MLCs from Mumbai in charge of
five lok sabha constituencies where as Sanjay Patil, the MP
from Mumbai North East will look after his constituency in
terms of disbursement of funds to carry out development works
in wards where the party candidates had finished second in the
2007 civic polls.
Sources said the five MLCs and Patil gave their report
on the party's strengths and weaknesses in Mumbai and what
needs to be done to improve the position.
Pawar also addressed women workers of the party and
stressed the need to train women, who are aspiring to contest
the local bodies polls, in local bodies governance.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, May 05, 2011, 17:47