It is no secret that the Congress and the NCP are itching to go their separate ways, and a recent meeting of NCP ministers to discuss focus areas for the party in the next general election has come as indication enough for the Congress to begin grooming itself to look good at the hustings.u00a0If the NCP discussions at Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s official residence in Malabar Hill centred on a comprehensive report on the 122 assembly segments the party wants to concentrate on, a Congress meeting at the Sahyadri state guesthouse on Thursday night saw its ministers being asked to ensure government welfare schemes reach the masses.

Uneasy Alliance: Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan of the Congress