Necessary to ally with smaller enemy to defeat a bigger one: Abu Azmi

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress leaders on Friday held a meeting with pre-poll alliance partners to discuss the government formation in Maharashtra with Shiv Sena. 

The smaller allies include Samajwadi Party (SP), RPI (Kawde), Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Peasant and Workers Party. 

After the meeting concluded, Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil informed that they met all their alliance partners who were with them before the Lok Sabha and assembly elections. 

Our alliance partners have agreed with the decision to ally with Shiv Sena to keep the BJP away from power. They have said that farmers and the downtrodden should get relief from the new government,” said Patil while talking to the media.

The joint meeting between NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena is underway and senior Congress leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge and Ahmed Patel are also participating in the same. Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had informed about the same earlier in the day. 

Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi was also part of the meeting. Azmi informed that the Congress and NCP leaders have asked the allies to bring their issues forward which will be implemented in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP). 

The Congress and NCP have been working out a CMP which will help to provide a stable government with Shiv Sena for the next five years. 

We have not asked for any ministerial post. We want the new government to provide reservation to Muslims,” said the SP leader.

On NCP-Congress alliance with Shiv Sena, Azmi said that it is necessary to join hands with a smaller enemy (Shiv Sena) to deal with the bigger one (BJP). “...therefore, we have decided to come together to keep BJP out of power,” Azmi added. 

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When asked about the choice of Chief Minister, Azmi said that Uddhav Thackeray should be the CM of Maharashtra as he is soft of Muslim issues.

The sources informed that Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena will stake claim and provide the support letter to Maharashtra Governor on Friday itself which will end the political deadlock in the state.

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