Pune: The city unit of Congress has complained to party seniors against alliance partner Sharad Pawar 's NCP (SCP) for dominating Pune and not allowing them to spread base in the district. All India Congress Committee ( AICC ) member Qazi Muhammad Nizamuddin held a marathon review meeting with Pune district officials at Congress Bhavan, recently. Qazi discussed poll preparedness for the upcoming state elections with officebearers of the units in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and rural parts of the district.
It was during the discussion that some party members, particularly from Pune city unit and rural parts, complained to AICC members that NCP (SCP) was not giving Congress room for expansion in the district. Sharad Pawar's party intends to contest nearly 16 out of the total 21 assembly seats in the district — leaving only five for Congress. A Congress member, who was present at the meeting, told TOI on the condition of anonymity, "In the MVA alliance, Congress party members see Sharad Pawar as a father figure and his daughter, Supriya Sule, as an elder sister.
We came out in support when their own party members attacked them. Despite that, the NCP (SCP) has lacked an accommodative approach and not allowed Congress any space to grow in Pune district." Congress is likely to contest Kasba Peth, Shivajinagar, Parvati and Pune Cantonment seats within the city limits and certain to contest from Bhor where party's Sangram Thopte is the sitting MLA.
However, with the division in NCP, som.