
Senior NCP leader and Union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Friday that the party would be happy to fight forthcoming state Assembly elections with a pre-poll alliance with Congress.
"Senior Congress leader (indirectly referring to Union Heavy Industries Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh) has toned down his statements on pre-poll alliance with NCP. Now...Congress high command will take a final decision," Patel told reporters in Nagpur.
Deshmukh had all along maintained that Congress should contest ensuing state Assembly elections on its own and can think of post-poll alliance with NCP.
Asked about financial crisis in Air India, Patel said the global aviation industry has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 10,000 crores and aviation company like British Airways too faced the same problem.
Big size of manpower and high remunerations, salary and perks are some of the reasons behind economic crisis in Air India, he said, adding employees should realise the situation.