Mumbai, August 28: With the Congress yet to take a final decision on continuing alliance with the NCP, Union Agriculture Minister and NCP president Sharad Pawar will meet senior party leaders here Friday to discuss election preparedness.
Maharashtra unit NCP president R R Patil told reporters that the meeting was routine stock taking exercise and a review of the party’s strengths and weaknesses, campaign strategies would be taken.
“We have already asked for applications from aspiring candidates and the district unit chiefs will submit the forms to the state headquarters on August 29,” he said.
Decision on alliance with the NCP would be taken in New Delhi, Patil said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and state Congress president Manikrao Thakre are in Delhi to hold consultations with Defence Minister A K Antony, who is also the AICC general secretary in charge of the state.
They are also scheduled to discuss the political scenario in the state with AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
Thakre has already stated that if the alliance materialises, 2004 seat sharing formula will not be the benchmark. While Pawar has declared that he would accept only the 2004 seat sharing formula.
–Agencies