Cong, NCP set up coordination panel

Indicating that ties between the Congress and NCP have normalised, the two parties have set up a coordination committee for Maharashtra, where they are partners in the ruling coalition.

State unit chiefs Prabha Rau of the Congress and Arun Gujarathi of NCP, Mumbai unit chiefs Sachin Ahir NCP and Gurudas Kamat Congress are members along with Praful Patel and Margaret Alva, general secretaries of the NCP and Congress respectively, chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Deputy CM R R Patil, said Congress spokesman Janardan Dwivedi.

The committee was announced a day after Patel had a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, during which she came out in support of the Rajya Sabha candidature of Supriya Sule, daughter of NCP president Sharad Pawar. The development assumes significance as it comes ahead of civic elections in Maharashtra.