Cong, NCP part ways before M'rashtra civic polls

The NCP-Cong will be pitted against each other in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik and other cities, reports Ketaki Ghoge .

Friends in the Democratic Front alliance — Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) — have decided to part ways for the civic polls on February 1.

This means Congress and NCP will be pitted against each other in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik and other cities, as the two could not arrive at a happy seat-sharing formula.

Though leaders from both the parties were looking for an intermediary, no solution could be found on Sunday. Both sides refused to give up their claim on several seats.

"There is no scope for a via media now. The alliance is off elsewhere in the state as well, except Amravati and Akola," said Public Works Minister and NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal.

"Yes, the alliance is off for the civic polls," confirmed state Congress President Prabha Rau.

Elections in ten cities will now be a four-cornered contest with the Shiv Sena-BJP and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the fray.

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