Taking serious note of the recently declared results of Municipal Council and Nagar Panchayat polls where Congress could win one seat only, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) and Congress leaders met to discuss possible alliance in Nagpur Municipal Corporation polls. Congress City President Vikas Thakre, NCP President Duneshwar Pethe, senior leaders ex-MLC Prakash Gajbhiye, Shabbir Ahmed Vidrohi, ex-Deputy Mayor Shekhar Sawarbandhe, youth leader Shailendra Tiwari discussed the seat sharing issue. Vikas Thakre said, “Congress is ready to give NCP and Shiv Sena (UBT) the seats.

 

They should tell us the Prabhags they want to contest and provide us the solid reasons as to why they feel their candidates can win. If they could be able to logical reasons then we will give them those many seats. Maximum share will be with Congress. We have been approached by almost 1,000 aspirants so we too have to think of them.” The elections are not held for the last three years and aspirants have become desperate to contest the polls. After December 30, the party-hopping is expected. All are waiting who are getting tickets. Accordingly they will take a call. According to Vikas Thakre, the alliance will help Maha Vikas Aaghadi to win more number of seats in NMC polls. Duneshwar Pethe said, “We are ready to contest polls on our own. At the same time we feel if all the party go to polls in alliance with each other, it will be beneficial to all.”

 

Shiv Sena (UBT) on the fence Though Congress and NCP are firm on the alliance, Shiv Sena (UBT) has not yet decided. Its senior leader and former Deputy Mayor Kishor Kumeria said that the decision on whether we have alliance within Maha Vikas Aaghadi or not will be taken in a day or two. The joining of Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is likely to be witnessed on Tuesday after which the equations within MVA may change. Congress is not ready for alliance with MNS. In that case it is less likely that Sena will be a part of MVA alliance for NMC polls. Will it have impact only in certain municipal corporations or not in any of the civic body is uncertain.