Decision on Cong-NCP-MGP alliance in Goa in 15 days

The decision on formation of pre-poll alliance between Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party would be taken within 15 days, a senior congress leader said here today.

Goa Congress president, Subhash Shirodkar, who took part in the coordination committee meeting of three parties today, said a detailed discussion on alliance would be held in Delhi. "At the end of (today's) discussion, it was resolved that final discussion be held in Delhi," Shirodkar told PTI.

Congress's Goa desk in-charge Jagmeet Singh Brar, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Shirodkar, NCP's Goa observer Bharati Chawan and MGP President Deepak Dhavalikar were present at the meeting. Emerging from the meeting, Chawan said the meeting was fruitful. "NCP executive committee will now sit and discuss the issue," she said.

Earlier in the day, Congress leaders had said that the party wanted to carry on the current alliance with NCP and MGP. Brar told reporters in Panaji that the party was of the opinion that Congress-NCP-MGP alliance "should go further during the forthcoming Goa elections", due next year.

Congress and NCP had fought the last assembly election of 2007 together, while the regional outfit, MGP, had contested on its own and joined the government later.