Decision on alliances for Maharashtra rural, urban body polls at local level: NCP leader Patel

Gondia, Sep 29 (PTI) Ruling coalition ally NCP's working president Praful Patel on Monday said his party will go it alone in the upcoming elections to rural and urban body polls in Maharashtra though there is no restriction on forging alliances at local level.

Talking to reporters at his residence in Gondia, the Rajya Sabha MP asserted that while the Mahayuti alliance will contest the state and national elections together, decision on tie-ups for local body elections will be taken at district level, going by sentiments of party workers.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, is a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti bloc, which also includes the BJP and the Shiv Sena.

"There are a number of aspirants wanting to contest polls and looking at this, the party will go it alone in local body elections. However, there is no restriction on forging alliances at local level, depending on what local leaders think," Patel averred.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court asked the Maharashtra State Election Commission to complete local body polls, stalled since 2022, by January 31, 2026.

Elections of local bodies like Zilla Parishads, Panchayat Samitis and municipalities, including the Mumbai civic corporation, are pending since more than three years.

On floods ravaging parts of Maharashtra, the former Union minister stated that the situation is really grim.

"We have already urged the government to provide maximum possible help to the affected farmers," he maintained.

Asked about rain-hit Gondia and Bhandara, he noted the situation in these two districts in eastern Maharashtra was not that bad as barring a few places, the paddy crop was good.

He pointed out that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought financial assistance for flood and rain-affected people in the state.

"NCP MLAs and MPs have donated their one month salary to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Our sentiments are with the affected people," Patel added.

Speaking about the contentious Maratha reservation issue, the NCP leader clarified no party has right to change the classification of any caste and not all Marathas are going to get Kunbi caste certificates.

Kunbi caste certificates for eligible Marathas will be decided on the basis of the Hyderabad Gazetteer, Patel insisted.

Implementation of the Hyderabad gazetteer, a pre-independence document, will effectively grant Kunbi (OBC) status to Marathas of the Marathwada region, making them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education.

He rejected suggestions that reservation for Marathas will affect the existing quota for OBCs. PTI COR RSY