Print this article

Decide on alliance by July 15: NCP to Cong

June 30, 2009 22:18 IST

The Nationalist Congress Party on Tuesday asked its ally Congress to decide on alliance for coming assembly polls in Maharashtra by July 15 and in an apparent overture to facilitate the tie-up party, president Sharad Pawar proposed the Bandra-Worli sealink be named after Rajiv Gandhi.

"The sealink should be named Rajiv Gandhi Setu," Pawar said after the project was inaugurated by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Immediately thereafter, NCP general secretary P A Sangma said Congress should take a call on the issue of alliance by July 15.

Sangma, who heads the strategic committee formed by Pawar for coming assembly elections, told mediapersons in Mumbai on Tuesday evening that "NCP high command would convey to Congress the desire of the party that the alliance be finalised by July 15."

Asked if NCP, formed in 1999 on the issue of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin, would merge with the Congress, Sangma said "NCP is an emerging party and where is the question of merger?"