BMC polls: NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil meets Uddhav Thackeray for alliance talks

Mumbai, Dec 26 (PTI) Senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil on Friday met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray here to discuss a possible alliance between the two parties for the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) with just a few days left for nomination filing to end.

The meeting, which took place at Thackeray's residence 'Matoshree' in Bandra, lasted around two hours.

It comes two days after Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray forged an alliance for the elections to the cash-rich civic body to be held on January 15.

Talking to reporters later, Patil said his talks with the Sena (UBT) chief were positive, but the two sides are yet to reach any conclusion.

The NCP (SP) expects that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents should contest the BMC polls together for good results, the former state minister said, adding that discussions between the NCP (SP) and the Congress were also on.

"Our discussion is on with the Shiv Sena (UBT), but we have not yet come to any conclusion. We are part of the MVA. Our efforts are to form an alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT) (for the civic polls)," he said.

The party's stand has been that it should get the seats the undivided NCP won in 2017 in the BMC polls.

Earlier in the day, NCP (SP) Mumbai unit president Rakhee Jadhav said the party expects to get 15-20 seats from its alliance partners.

According to a party leader, the undivided NCP had contested 106 BMC seats in 2017, out of the total 227, and won nine.

Recently, a leader of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) said the party was keen on contesting the Mumbai civic body polls in alliance with the Sena (UBT) and the MNS rather than going with the Congress.

Last month, Congress' Mumbai unit chief Varsha Gaikwad and other leaders had met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar to discuss a tie-up with his party, which she described as the grand old party's "natural ally".

The Congress had said it wanted to fight the Mumbai municipal elections with "like-minded parties", but did not favour the idea of joining hands with the MNS, with Gaikwad saying it cannot tie up with those who take law into their hands or indulge in intimidation.

Polling for the 227 corporator-seats in India's biggest and richest civic body - BMC - along with 28 other municipal corporations in the state will be held on January 15 and votes will be counted the next day.

Nomination papers can be filed till December 30. PTI PR NP