Congress-NCP to fight civic bypoll together

On backdrop of Shivshakti-Bhimshakti finally Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have decided to contest the civic by-poll jointly. The by-poll will be litmus test for both the Shivshakti-Bhimshakti alliance and Congress-NCP alliance for a year ahead of civic elections.

The state election commission has scheduled the civic by-poll for the corporator seat of Mahim and Kanjurmarg. The by-election actually had kicked off a war between the Congress and NCP alliance as both the parties are looking to contest the seats separately.

After sudden death of Shiv Sena’s Mahim corporator Santosh Parab, Sena is much desperate for victory in the elections. They have fielded former mayor Milind Vaidya as a candidate from Mahim, who is a confident candidate according to Sena leaders.

Shiv Sena has also declared another candidate Priyanka Patil from Kanjurmarg. Recently, Sena corporator Meenakshi Patil was disqualified.

Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, Congress and NCP are the major parties and have fielded their candidates separately. After the Shivshakti-Bhimshakti scene the Congress and NCP realised the political game and decided to contest in alliance. It will be declared after a final nod from the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. “Only the formality is remaining as all the discussions have been completed. NCP will contest from Mahim and Congress will contest from Kanjurmarg,” said Kripashankar Singh, Mumbai Congress president.

The election is scheduled on June 26 and the corporators will have just around six months to work in the constituency.