Jolt to Congress, NCP to contest Gujarat Assembly Elections solo

NEW DELHI: In a jolt to Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is a part of the UPA, has decided to contest the upcoming Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017 on its own.

Confirming the development, NCP leader Praful Patel said: "We wanted to contest in Gujarat in alliance with the Congress and had talks with them too initially, but the Congress did not seem serious and kept on delaying. "We are already prepared to contest from all seats for the last one-and-half years. Now, we have decided to fight alone.”

Notable, the NCP on November 18 had the Gujarat Assembly Polls in alliance with the Congress to oust the 22-year-old BJP regime in the state.

"The NCP has extended its full support to the Congress and will fight the Assembly polls (in Gujarat) in alliance with the Congress," Anwar said in a press conference in Katihar, his Lok Sabha constituency. People of Gujarat are feeling disenchanted with the BJP government for the first time in 22 years and they want a change, NCP general secretary Tariq Anwar had said.

Voting for the two-phase polls are scheduled for December 9 and 14. The vote count will take place on December 18.

In more trouble for the Congress, Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) workers in the late hours of Sunday protested against the grand old party in Ahmedabad and Surat, expressing dismay over ticket distribution ahead of assembly polls in the state.

Following the release of Congress` list of candidates which includes only three PAAS candidates, angry leaders of the community staged protest.

Reacting to the protests, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday said the PAAS leaders, who were working as agents of Congress, have been exposed following their clash over ticket distribution.