The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will discuss its relations with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the party's future course of action at a two-day national convention beginning here Saturday.

'We will discuss ways in which the UPA alliance can be strengthened. Other issues will be the future plans for the party in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections, price rise and other current issues,' NCP spokesperson D. P. Tripathi told IANS.

The party will hold a meeting of its national council at the Deputy Speaker's Hall of the Cosntitution Club here Saturday. A full day will be devoted to the national executive Sunday, and party leaders from various parts of the country will take part.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar recently said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was doing a good job and should be the UPA prime ministerial candidate in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls scheduled for May 2009. However, this was read as the NCP's opposition to the candidature of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi for the post.

Later, the NCP clarified that it had no issues and it was for the Congress to decide its prime ministerial candidate.