MUMBAI: A day after Congress unexpectedly joined hands with arch-rival BJP to gain control over Gondia zilla parishad , the grand Congress-NCP alliance formed on the eve of the state legislature's monsoon session to take on BJP's chief minister Devendra Fadnavis , has virtually collapsed.

The split was visible on the floor of the house when Congress boycotted the proceedings, NCP legislators participated in the discussion on complete loan waiver for aggrieved farmers.

Coming down heavily on Congress, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "Congress has to choose between NCP and BJP. It's already a known fact that senior Congress and Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil is hobnobbing with the CM. Now, people of Maharashtra have seen the real face of Congress."

Lok Sabha member and state Congress president Ashok Chavan expressed shock over the decision of his party's Gondia unit to join hands with BJP.

Chavan said it was a serious matter and neither he himself nor the Congress high command gave their approval. "We never approved a proposal for Congress to join hands with BJP. The decision was taken at the local level. I have called for a report from our election observer as well as local legislator Gopal Agarwal."

Chavan, who had a meeting with senior NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare to resolve the row over the Gondia zilla parishad elections, told TOI it will not have an adverse impact on the Congress-NCP alliance.

A week ago, the ruling BJP was wiped out in a keenly contested election to the Bhandara and Gondia zilla parishads. This, despite the fact that Fadnavis and Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari had extensively campaigned in both the districts.

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Congress and NCP together got a clear majority In the two zilla parishads. It was decided that the party which has got more seats will be entitled to the president's post.

Accordingly, for election to the Bhandara zilla parishad, NCP supported Congress. As a result, its nominee was elected as president and that of NCP as vice-president. In the election to the Gondia zilla parishad president, NCP was expecting Congress to adhere to the agreement. But much to the shock of NCP leadership, while the Congress nominee was elected as president, for the vice-president's post, a BJP nominee was elected following Congress' support.

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Gondia Congress legislator Gopal Agarwal, who is accused of supporting BJP, denied his role in the episode. "I always abide by Congress high command's order. In the present case, the decision to support BJP was taken by zilla parishad members. I have no control over them. It appears that there was discontent among Congress members against NCP. Hence, they voted for the BJP nominee," said Agarwal.