NCP (SP) meet tomorrow over civic polls amid reunion buzz

Mumbai: State NCP (SP) president Jayant Patil has convened a meeting of the party's state executive on Wednesday to take stock of the current political situation following the Supreme Court's recent directive to the election panel to take efforts to complete local body polls within four months.Party spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had asked a few months ago that the executive meet every month for better connectivity. "Accordingly, a monthly meeting has been convened at the party office," he said. He said there will be extensive deliberations on local body polls at the meeting. "On the possibility of a merger of the two NCP factions, he said it will be too premature to comment on it. A senior NCP (SP) functionary said in the wake of a number of senior leaders joining Ajit Pawar's faction, the general view in the party is that Sharad Pawar should initiate steps for a reunion "before it is too late". —Prafulla Marpakwar