NCP may go alone in Maha zilla parishad polls

Nationalist Congress Party chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Saturday said his party would go it alone in the zilla parishad polls in Maharashtra, if Congress was not keen to have an alliance.

"In any coalition one always goes with like-minded parties, and both the parties should compromise by discussing the issue. But if the other member is keen on going it alone, then we don't have any other option," Pawar told mediapersons after a meeting of party leaders in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

Pawar also said that Muslims would be given more opportunities in the selection of candidates for zilla parishad polls.

"There are not many Muslim members on zilla parishads, compared to dalits and women. The party's effort would be to field more Muslim candidates this time," he said.

Regarding the proposed Jaitapur nuclear power plant, Pawar said it was necessary to overcome power deficit in the state.

"The state had ample power up to 1995 but today we are facing a power crisis. Jaitapur project would generate power at a cheaper rate," he said.

Pawar assured that Jaitapur project would not affect environment, comparing it with the Enron power plant set up in the same Konkan region in the 1990s.

"The Enron project also faced opposition then. But the power situation would have worsened if we had not got it then. It had no impact on environment," he said.

The agriculture minister also claimed that the country would witness a second green revolution in the next five years.

"In the next five years, there would be a second green revolution in the country," Pawar said, adding that it could be brought about by adequate water availability, low interest rates of loans for farmers, better prices for produce, and research.