AURANGABAD: Amidst current steaming political conditions in Maharashtra post outcome of polls for 10 municipal corporations and different local self-governing bodies in the state, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said that his party was okay with joining hands with the Congress party in sharing power at around two and half dozen Zilla Parishads (ZPs) in the state."The NCP can come into power at only three ZPs, while Congress at barely one if both parties decide to go alone. On the other hand, both parties can assume power in around 17 to 18 ZPs if they join hands," Pawar said, adding that formal decision regarding forging an alliance with Congress would be taken during upcoming party meet of NCP.While addressing media persons at Nanded, Pawar also said that both NCP and Congress have already initiated talks towards forming post-poll alliance for local civic bodies Incidentally, the NCP chief, on his day-long tour to Nanded, also met Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief and former chief minister Ashok Chavan , whose hometown is Nanded.Chavan greeted Pawar after his arrival at helipad with both leaders holding brief talks at government rest house. Pawar later paid visit to recently inaugurated memorial of Shankarrao Chavan, former union minister and father of MPCC chief, and the duo again had closed door talks on the sideline of visit.Chavan could not be contacted for his comments on what transpired between his meetings with Pawar.Later speaking with media persons, the NCP chief, counted among most unpredictable leaders, also said that he does not foresee any possibility of mid-term polls in Maharashtra as Shiv Sena would continue to cling to the power."Going by the behaviour of Shiv Sena Chief, I do not think he would part ways from BJP," he said, at the same time adding that his party would be ready for any political crisis in the form of mid-term polls.The former union minister also said that the local party leaders in Mumbai would decide on extending support to any other parties, except BJP, in current tussle for power.Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada (SRTM) University, Nanded conferred D.Litt (Doctor of Letters) upon Pawar during formal event on Sunday afternoon. Even if the honour was announced last year, Pawar could not take out time for receiving the honour.

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