Not opposed to alliance with NCP and Shiv Sena in local body polls: Cong

However, the party will be taking a decision after seeking the views of grassroot workers

In a major turnaround, the Congress Parliamentar y Board in Maharashtra, on Tuesday, decided that the alliance with ruling partners Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and other like minded parties in the coming civic and local body polls will be taken af ter seeking the views of grassroot workers. Today’s move comes days af ter newly appointed state unit chief Nana Patole had said the Congress is geared up to go solo in the coming elections and it will not impact the functioning of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government comprising Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.

On the other hand, Mumbai Regional Congress Committee President Bhai Jagtap has repeatedly announced that the party will fight all the 227 seats independently in the coming elections to the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) slated for 2022. However, today’s parliamentar y board’s decision has been a complete shif t in the stand taken by Patole and Jagtap considering the present state of the party organisation in the state. Congress with 44 legislators and one Lok Sabha is ranked fourth and it is struggling to control factionalism and intra party rivalries.

The parliamentar y board’s decision has also indicated that Congress is open to tie up with Shiv Sena and NCP in a serious bid to defeat BJP. At the same, it has also hinted that Congress, while sharing power in the state and there after in civic and local bodies, can consolidate its strength instead of going solo.