The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursdays announced that it would go it alone in the Bihar Assembly polls.
“We will go it alone in Bihar. It is a 243-member Assembly and we will try to contest as many seats as possible,” NCP general secretary D.P. Tripathi told reporters after the party’s working committee meeting here. “We have not held discussions for an alliance with the Congress in Bihar and we have not approached parties like the RJD or the LJP for a tie-up,” he said.
He also said there were discussions with some smaller parties for a tie-up, but these were not concluded.
The working committee also resolved that the Centre should have talks with any Kashmiri group that shunned violence and had faith in the Constitution.
“The working committee resolved that dialogue and discussion with any group, which abjures violence and believes in the Constitutional process in Kashmir, should be held,” he said.
“The NCP demands that we should also negotiate with Ulfa and other groups in the North East,” he added.
Mr Govindrao Adik, party general secretary and MP, will represent the party in the all-party delegation that will visit Kashmir, he said.
Regarding the impending Ayodhya title suit verdict, Mr Tripathi said he did not feel that the judgment would impact the Bihar Assembly elections, but the party wanted all sides in the dispute to abide by the court verdict.
The meeting was attended by senior party leaders including general secretary P.A. Sangma and civil aviation minister Praful Patel. Party president Sharad Pawar was not present.