Decide on pre-poll alliances: NCP to Cong

With assembly elections in six states approaching, the NCP has asked the Congress to decide on pre-poll alliances with UPA constituents.

With assembly elections in six states round the corner, the NCP on Monday asked the Congress to decide on pre-poll alliances with UPA constituents within four days failing which it would be "forced" to chart its own course.

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The Sharad Pawar-led party also accused the Congress of weaning away its MLAs in various states in an attempt to weaken the alliance partner.

"There is a danger of communal forces gaining ground in the poll-bound states. Congress as the largest party of the UPA should get all secular and like-minded parties together to ensure there is no division of secular votes," NCP General Secretary Tariq Anwar said.

He said the NCP is ready to partner with the Congress in Delhi, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan.

Anwar said the NCP has been in talks with the Congress on seat-sharing in the five states along with Mizorom but it had not got a positive response.

The NCP is in talks with LJP and SP to discuss possibility of alliance in Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan, he said.

He criticised the "wrong attitude" of the Congress trying to poach NCP MLAs and party leaders in various states.

Congress has weaned away two MLAs in Arunachal Pradesh, three in Assam, four in Manipur and one legislator in Delhi, Anwar said.

Meanwhile, NCP appointed R R Das as the President of its Delhi unit. Das replaces Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, who quit the party recently to join the Congress.