Amid speculation about a possible Congress-NCP alliance government after the Assembly polls in Meghalaya, an advertisement with pictures of Sonia Gandhi [Images] and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] alongside Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar [Images] has appeared in a leading newspaper in Shillong.

The advertisement, published in a widely circulated English daily on Sunday, highlighted the various agricultural schemes initiated by Union agricultural minister, with a message 'Our sincere thanks to the UPA government'.

Even as both the parties are up against each other, the advertisement, purportedly published in the NCP's banner, also had pictures of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.

The NCP was quick to react, with the party's media cell chairman Prof Eugene D Thomas disowning the advertisement and terming it as 'malicious' and 'an attempt to mislead the electorate'.

He said the advertisement was not issued by the NCP. "The party may move the Election Commission and the Press Council of India over the matter," Thomas said.

The management of the newspaper house said the advertisement was given by an advertisement agency and the house had nothing to do with it.

A Congress spokesperson also appeared ignorant over the advertisement.