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PAWAR FOR CONG-SP PACT IN UP, MAHA, MP
Feb. 15: Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party would like the Congress to join forces with the Samajwadi Party in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, in addition to Uttar Pradesh, to defeat the BJP and its NDA allies. The NCP has submitted a proposal to this effect to the Congress high command.
This became known as Samajwadi general secretary Amar Singh met Mr Pawar here on Sunday. This was a preliminary meeting.
Mr Pawar is bringing all factions of the RPI (Gavai, Athawale and Ambedkar) together in Maharashtra. If he succeeds, the entire dalit combine (new Buddhists) can consolidate behind the Congress-NCP grouping. An alliance with the SP will help draw the support of North Indians in Maharashtra and also send a "positive signal" to the minorities, it is felt.
But the real issue is the Congress’ reluctance to leave seats for the SP and RPI factions in Maharashtra. The Congress wants the NCP to accommodate them from its quota. The Congress would like to contest 27 Lok Sabha seats in the state, leaving 21 for the NCP.
After meeting Mr Pawar, Mr Amar Singh said his party did not wish to grow at the Congress’ cost. "Our motto is not to grow at the cost of the Congress... We want to curb Mayawati with the help of the Congress," he said.
But then he sarcastically added: "Our party, unlike a certain section of the Congress, does not have any Track Two diplomacy... such as through (UP governor T.V.) Rajeswar." (The SP had earlier alleged that the Congress was using the UP governor for political purposes.)
Mr Amar Singh said his party’s doors were closed for the BSP. "We have got a one-track political approach... to strengthen secular forces opposing the BJP and BSP."
The SP leader said his party would not oppose Mr Sharad Pawar for the prime ministership, but then went on to add that it had no objection to Dr Manmohan Singh getting a second term.
"Right now we have Manmohan Singh as leader. But in case Sharad Pawar gets a chance or Mulayam Singh gets a chance they will not oppose each other," Mr Amar Singh told reporters after meeting Mr Pawar for seat-sharing talks here. This came a day after AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi expressed open support for Dr Singh’s continuance as Prime Minister.
NCP spokesman D.P. Tripathi said the talks between Mr Pawar and Mr Amar Singh were "positive" and that the discussions between the two had not been limited to Maharashtra.
The SP, he said, had "helped the UPA in difficult times", and so it was necessary to seek its support to "strengthen the UPA". On Mr Pawar’s candidature as PM, he said at the moment "politics is pregnant with all kinds of possibilities, and we have to see when it delivers."
Both the NCP and the SP are unhappy over the Congress’ decision to not go in for a national-level alliance and instead opt for seat-sharing at the state level.