Mumbai: Former Maharashtra deputy chief minister and president of NCP's state unit, R R Patil, on Wednesday categorically stated that his party would "never" merge with Congress.
"There are many people waiting for the merger to happen. They can keep waiting endlessly because NCP will celebrate its centenary year too," Patil said, addressing party workers at Shanmukhanand hall on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the party's formation.
Patil said that in 2004 Lok Sabha polls, NCP bagged nine seats and Congress 13, but in the subsequent assembly elections in the same year, NCP emerged as the single largest party with 71 MLAs.
"Eight months ago, our candidate Sanjeev Naik lost the Thane Lok Sabha by-election only to win it in the 2009 general elections. It shows that electoral fortunes can change. In the assembly elections scheduled later this year, we will get minimum 100 seats," Patil said.
Senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal, Deputy Chief Minister of the state, had called for the need for NCP and Congress to unitedly fight the upcoming assembly elections "to keep the communal forces away".
"But, if Congress wants to chart a different course for itself, NCP should also do the same," Bhujbal said, referring to demands from a section of Congress to snap ties with NCP for the assembly elections.