Congress mollycoddles Sharad Pawar

With Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) jumping on the bandwagon of “disgruntled partners” of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the Congress on Sunday sought to dismiss the regional party’s allegation against it of violating the “coalition norms”.

Meanwhile, in a “damage control” exercise, the party (Congress) also described the Union agriculture minister’s home state Maharashtra as the “best example” of a coalition’s success.

“Maharashtra itself is the best example of a successful Congress-led coalition politics. It is the only state with a successful coalition arrangement surmounting triple anti-incumbency at both the central and state levels. This is the best negation of any allegation regarding deficiency by us,” said All India Congress Committee (AICC)  spokesman, Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

Amid speculation that the NCP might tie up with the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in some Zila Parishad elections in Maharashtra, the Congress party reminded that the Congress-NCP coalition successfully completed over 12 years in power in Maharashtra.

Singhvi’s remark came a day after senior Congress leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan met the party president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi.

After the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Dravida Munnethra Kazhagam (DMK), the NCP was the latest UPA constituent to voice its discontent recently. Pawar said that he was pained by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s remark that the Congress’ allies in the ruling coalition had made it difficult for the UPA government to take key decisions.

The NCP chief termed the remark as “unnecessary” and “sweeping” in nature. The recent election of the presidents in the 27 Zila Parishads in Maharashtra sparked off tension between the two coalition partners.

The NCP bagged the president’s post in 13 Zila Parishads.