Mumbai Mayoral battle: NCP to maintain distance from Sena and BJP

The NCP on Thursday said it would like to stay away from both major parties, Shiv Sena and BJP in the Mayoral elections in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, where the recent polls resulted in a hung house. 

State NCP President Sunil Tatkare told reporters here that his party was clear right from the start of the campaign for the civic polls across Maharashtra that it would not enter into any understanding or friendly fight with either the Shiv Sena or the BJP.

The NCP leader, however, took a dig at the Congress, which he said had struck some understanding with the Shiv Sena in some Zilla Parishads in the state.

"We kept our word while Congress, which had also assured the same, tied up with the Sena in Osmanabad and Raigad Zilla Parishads. While in many seats elsewhere, they were in a friendly fight," he said. 

Tatkare said the party is yet to take a call on Mumbai Mayor elections and will wait to see how the situation unfolds. "(However) Under no circumstances, will our party support the Sena or BJP (in the BMC). We feel the two saffron parties are likely to come together for power. Shiv Sena has no guts to withdraw support to the state government," he said.

In a sarcastic take at Sena's stance during the campaign that the BJP-led Government in the state had been put on "notice period", Tatkare said, "only they (Sena) know where is the notice period for the government in the state and whether the resignation letters carried by its ministers in their pockets are still there or torn off."

"What is the use of only criticising the government through 'Saamana' (the Sena mouthpiece). Shiv Sena should act on the criticism and withdraw support," he added.

To a question on speculations that NCP may support a Shiv Sena government if such situation arises, Tatkare said, "I don't foresee a mid-term elections since Shiv Sena will not pull out of the government.

To install its own CM, Sena will have to withdraw support to the present government. If it does pull out and think about forming a government, we will see what to do."

On the prospects of a no-trust motion against the Devendra Fadnavis government, he said the Congress has not discussed the proposal with his party. Meanwhile, nine NCP corporators from Mumbai met party chief Sharad Pawar and discussed the the post-Mumbai civic poll situation.

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