Nasik, Jan 03: Amidst reports of a possible tie-up between the NCP and the NDA, Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said he hoped secular parties would not enter into an alliance with "casteist" ones. "I have discussed the issue of pre-poll alliance in Maharashtra with NCP President Sharad Pawar but no decision has been taken yet by both sides and only preliminary talks are in progress in this regard," Shinde said when asked to his attention was drawn to speculation about NCP's alliance with NDA.
Shinde expressed the hope that secular parties would not enter into an alliance with casteist parties. Asked whether congress would still align with the Pawar-led party, if it entered joined the NDA at the Centre, Shinde said, "It is not proper to comment today as no such move has so far been taken by them. We are keeping a watch on the political activities." Today as no such move has so far been taken by them. We are keeping a watch on the political activities." Pawar had yesterday said in Pune that NCP had three options before it -- to have a tie-up with Congress, an alliance with left and other parties or to join the BJP-led NDA.

Bureau Report