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Pune municipal elections: Shiv Sena, NCP meet to set alliance
Both parties (Shiv Sens and NCP) have agreed to an alliance for the upcoming Pune municipal elections to keep the BJP from power. We will also start a discussion with the Congress party, says NCP city unit president Prashant Jagtap
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Shiv Sena took the first major step towards ensuring the MVA alliance at the state government level is replicated in the city for the upcoming Pune municipal elections.
NCP city unit president Prashant Jagtap confirmed that a first meeting between the parties had taken place, though he deferred from saying when, and where in Pune it happened.
Jagtap said, “Both parties have agreed to an alliance to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from power. We will also start a discussion with the Congress party. NCP and Sena office bearers were present at the meeting.”
Sena leaders Sanjay More, Prithviraj Sutar and others were present at the meeting.
A Shiv Sena source, requesting anonymity, said, “It was decided at the meeting that whichever candidate wins a particular seat, the party he represents will take that seat.”
“The Sena leaders put acondition that there should be a respectful alliance and NCP should share maximum seats with Shiv Sena,” the source added.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in power in the state also has the Congress as an alliance member. In the city, there are two trains of thought within the Congress party.
One is in favour of contesting the elections as the MVA, but there is section of Congress leaders keen to go it alone.
A Congress senior leader speaking anonymously said that ideally NCP and Sena should have approached Congress before holding a meeting. “They went ahead and met, so we would need to take call about what to do about the alliance in the PMC polls,” the leader said.
Jagtap added, “We started the discussion. We welcome the Congress to keep the BJP away. A final decision will be taken by the state-level leaders.”
