India, Dec. 23 -- Barely weeks for the municipal elections in Maharashtra and back-channel communication between the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has intensified to explore a possible alliance, signalling a renewed attempt to consolidate the opposition vote against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

NCP leader Ajit Pawar, according to sources, reached out to Congress leader Satej Patil who is the party in-charge for Pune district for a possible alliance in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) polls late on Sunday. Patil later confirmed that the communication has been initiated within his party though he refrained from sharing details, saying discussions were at a preliminary stage.

The outreach comes close on the heels o...