NCP to contest VS polls independently: Praful Patel

Raipur, July 04, 2013

Union heavy industries and public enterprises minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel has announced that his party would contest upcoming assembly polls in Chhattisgarh independently. “We will not make pre-poll alliance with any party and contest Vidhan Sabha polls independently,” he said while talking to media persons before attending NCP workers meeting at Raipur on Thursday.

“The ruling BJP and principal opposition Congress have lost public trust in Chhattisgarh. Since the people want alternative of these two parties, the NCP is ready to meet their expectations,” Patel said.

“We will field candidates with clean image in elections to ensure our victory,” he added, although he refused to disclose how many seats the NCP was expecting to win.

Asked how the party would make the people feel its presence when VS polls were scheduled to be conducted in short span of time, i.e. in November-December 2013 Patel said the party would reach every nook and corner of the state under a planned strategy through its workers.

On former NCP president Nobel Verma’s defection to Congress Patel said the party would not be affected by the former’s exit. “In fact, the state unit will be benefited by Verma’s exit as he was never with it despite being its member. The state NCP president Satish Jaggi is handling the party affairs diligently and we have full faith on him,” he added.

When asked whether alienated Congress MLA Ajit Jogi had contacted him pertaining to his NCP entry Patel said his party’s doors would be open for all the like-minded people.

On May 25-naxal attack on Congress parivartan yatra convoy he said it happened due to intelligence failure and incumbent state government was responsible for it. Terming naxalism as national issue he said the problems should be tackled seriously by Centre and states putting politics aside.

On industrialisation in Chhattisgarh he said the existing industries were traditional ones and create massive pollution. He felt that there were ample possibilities for IT, automobile, electronics and chemical sector in state.