Though the Congress has been in touch with Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh and Jogendra Kawade's group, Prakash Ambedkar has also been talking to the NCP for an alliance in the civic elections.
After Republican Party of India chief Ramdas Athawale severed ties with the Nationalist Congress Party to join hands with the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance for the forthcoming municipal elections, now both the Congress and NCP have been in touch with other factions of the RPI.
Though the Congress has been in touch with Prakash Ambedkar-led Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh and Jogendra Kawade's group, Prakash Ambedkar has also been talking to the NCP for an alliance in the civic elections.
NCP state unit chief Madhukar Pichad and senior party leader RR Patil will meet Prakash Ambedkar on Sunday at the official residence of another NCP leader at Nariman Point. Ambedkar had also met Congress leader Manikrao Thakre a couple of weeks ago. According to sources, he would bargain with both the parties for better a deal of seats in the municipal corporations.
Another RPI leader Jogendra Kawade has submitted a list of 24 wards to the Congress. Kawade said he was very much in favour of the alliance to pull down the Sena-BJP from power in the civic body. "The saffron rule was like an 'eclipse' on the civic body. We will go with the Congress in all zilla parishad, panchayat samiti and corporation elections to keep communal forces at bay," he said.
Ambedkar's meeting with NCP leaders has raised the eyebrows in the political corridors. "He might have met Congress leaders, but will not like to ally with it. It may hamper his stronghold in Akola civic bodies. Secondly, republican people do not like alliance with Congress as Dr BA Ambedkar used to hate the party in his later part of the life. On this background, Ambedkar would prefer NCP over Congress," a leader from RPI said on the condition of anonymity.
Ambedkar may demand nearly 20 seats for BMC elections. "NCP may not be able to share that many seats as it has got only 58 seats and sharing more seats with Ambedkar may lead to unrest in the party itself. But the alliance with the RPI will definitely help NCP," an NCP leader said.
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