Will Cong,NCP have a joint campaign,manifesto for Maha polls

Will the Congress and the NCP make a joint campaign and joint manifesto like the BJP-Shiv Sena in the October 13 Maharashtra Assembly polls.

Will the Congress and the NCP make a joint campaign and joint manifesto like the BJP-Shiv Sena in the October 13 Maharashtra Assembly polls,which is expected to see a keen tussle between the rival alliances.

The issue is still unclear as conflicting statements have come from senior leaders even though both parties yesterday claimed to have “nearly reached an agreement” on seat sharing. While NCP leader Praful Patel claimed that both the parties will fight the election with a joint campaign and joint manifesto,a senior Congress leader appeared disfavouring the idea.

After 10 years in the political wilderness,Shiv Sena and the BJP are leaving nothing to chance and are going the extra mile to project a picture of unity. They are having a joint campaign and a joint manifesto for the first time despite contesting the polls together for the past nearly two decades.

Hence a section in NCP believes that going to polls with joint manifesto and in joint campaign with Congress will blunt the advantage if any to the the Opposition combine.

However,a senior Congress leader associated with Maharashtra Assembly election said,”There will be no joint manifesto. Each party will go to the masses with its own manifesto. There is also no possibility of joint campaign across the state. At best there could be one or two such meetings.”

Patel has been maintaining that “both parties will go for a common manifesto and joint campaign in the elections” and that these things would be finalised in three-four days.

Meanwhile,sources in both Congress and NCP said they are toying with the idea of going to the polls on the theme of ‘Rashtra ke baad Maharashtra’ (After the country,now Maharashtra). The catchline is to drive home the point that the alliance,which has been looking after the nation will also take care of the state. It is also intended to take the bottom out of the Marathi card of the Shiv Sena.