The Congress has directed its Pune city unit to prepare for the upcoming municipal elections on its own and avoid alliance talks with Nationalist Congress Party/NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar/SP) if it aligns with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, party leaders said on Wednesday. The directive comes amid continued uncertainty over opposition unity ahead of civic polls even as Congress and NCP leaders earlier this week indicated their willingness for such an alliance.
Congress state chief Harshavardhan Sapkal said that the party is closely tracking political developments in Pune, where alliance signals remain mixed. (HT)
Congress state chief Harshavardhan Sapkal said that the party is closely tracking political developments in Pune, where alliance signals remain mixed. “There is a lot of confusion in Pune. All senior leaders from the city were present at today’s meeting and detailed discussions were held with them. However, no final decision has been taken yet on alliances in Pune,” Sapkal said.
Congress Pune city president Arvind Shinde however is more clear on alliance formation, and said clear instructions have been issued by the party’s parliamentary board to explore contesting the polls without both NCPs. “We have been told to contest separately as both factions of the NCP are expected to come together. We have also been instructed not to hold discussions with NCP (SP) if it is in alliance with Ajit Pawar,” Shinde said. Discussions between the Congress and Shiv Sena are scheduled for Thursday night, he added.
Congress state vice-president Mohan Joshi also confirmed that the party will go solo in Pune. “We have received clear instructions from the state leadership to contest the municipal elections independently,” he said.
The decision, however, has triggered discontent within sections of the Pune city unit. Several Congress leaders privately expressed concerns that contesting alone could hurt the party’s prospects and reduce its tally compared to the 2017 municipal elections. Sources said Shinde had strongly argued in favour of an understanding with both NCP factions, claiming that it would benefit the Congress locally, but the demand was not accepted by senior leaders. On Sunday night, NCP national president Ajit Pawar called up Congress leader Satej Patil and discussed the possibility of an alliance for civic polls.
Ajit Pawar sought to know whether Congress is interested in a tie-up with the NCP. Many leaders in the Congress feel that if Ajit Pawar’s NCP decides to contest polls with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of which Congress is a part, there will be no room for seat-sharing negotiations. In the 165-member Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the NCP is likely to ask for a greater number of seats for contesting the polls if it fights with the MVA.
Meanwhile, political speculation has intensified following the resignation of NCP leader Prashant Jagtap. Congress leaders confirmed that discussions are taking place at the state leadership level, though no formal move has been made yet. Sapkal said the party welcomed Jagtap’s decision to quit the NCP (SP) in the wake of indications that the two NCP factions may come together. “As of now, there is no proposal from Prashant Jagtap to join the Congress. If and when such a proposal comes, it will be discussed at the appropriate level,” Sapkal said.
