Nationalist Congress Party decides to limit its contest in Bihar polls

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and JD(U) president Sharad Yadavheld talks with NCP chief harad Pawar, following which the NCP leadership has decided not to go all-out along with Mulayam Singh Yadav's SP to play the 'secular spoiler' in the upcoming Bihar assembly. Sources said even if the party has a parallel alliance with Mulayam Singh Yadav's SP, NCP will not contest more than 25 seats.

In the backdrop of the talks NCP national spokesperson DP Tripathi held a press conference where he said, "NCP is still hoping for a larger unity of secular parties in BJP to defeat the BJP. We wish other parties (Grand Alliance) were equally accommodative on this. Let us see what could happen in he next two days." The NCP broke off with the grand alliance in protest of being allotted only three seats.

Asked how many seats the NCP would contest in alliance with SP, Tripathi said, "even if we have to contest outside the (grand) alliance, we will not contest too many seats." Senior NCP leader Tariq Anwar had announced last week that NCP and SP will hold a convention in Patna soon to announce their front.