NCP moots alliance to take on Sangma's NPP

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday proposed a grand alliance with Meghalaya's ruling Congress and other regional parties in the state to take on former colleague PA Sangma's newly launched National People's Party (NPP).

"The NCP is a coalition partner of the Congress at the centre and Maharashtra. Both parties had a pre-poll alliance and therefore forging an alliance with the Congress in Meghalaya shouldn't be a problem," said NCP leader Robert Kharshiing.

With Sangma's exit, the NCP-Congress ties in Meghalaya would set a new tone. "I will meet Chief Minister Mukul Sangma soon and explore this idea," he added.

The NCP, of which Sangma was a key member until he contested against Pranab Mukherjee in the presidential polls, is also eyeing on the pre-poll alliance with the regional United Democratic Party and Hill State People's Democratic Party — now coalition partners of the Congress in the Meghalaya United Alliance government.

Meghalaya is scheduled to go for assembly polls in February next year.

I am hundred percent sure that the Congress high command will accept our proposal (pre-poll alliance) and I will be speaking to leaders of other regional parties," Kharshiing said.

Sangma launched the NPP in Meghalaya Friday. His sons James K. Sangma and Conrad K. Sangma are among 12 NCP legislators who joined the new party.

In the 60-member assembly, the NCP has 14 legislators including suspended legislator Adolf Lu Hitler R. Marak.