NCP to field 10 candidates in Gujarat

In order to prevent 'communal' forces from coming back to power in Gujarat, the National Congress Party has forged a pre-poll alliance with the Congress and will field candidates in 10 seats for the state assembly elections.

"In order to prevent division of secular votes, we have forged a pre-poll alliance with the Congress party," Jayant Patel, state unit president of the NCP said.

"We have already announced the names of candidates for the first phase of elections to be held on December 11," he said talking about NCP's decision to fight elections on the Upleta, Gondal, Umargaon and Mahuva assembly seats.

"We will be pushing for at least five to six seats for the second phase," Patel said adding that the NCP, in understanding with the Congress, will be fielding candidates in about 10 seats.

"We will be announcing the names of the candidates and the seats soon. We will be bringing out the poll manifesto together and also be campaigning from the same plank," said Jitendra Ahwad, the party poll-observer for Gujarat.

"Our primary objective is to keep the communal forces from coming back to power," he added.

"As long as the reign of communal forces in Gujarat does not end, the common man in the state will not progress," he said and alleged that only the big industrialists have progressed during the Bharatiya Janata Party's rule. "This time, we hope that the people of Gujarat will vote secular parties to power," he added.

Though the party has time and again fought elections in Gujarat including, the general elections in 2004, it is yet to win a seat from the state.