Congress intensifies pressure on NCP for merger

Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls later in October this year, the Congress high command seems to be intensifying pressure on the NCP to form an alliance. So far, however, no formal proposal has been put forward..

IN TUNE with its grand strategy to go at it alone in the 2014 general elections, the Congress has started strengthening itself by pressurising its crucial ally in Maharashtra, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), headed by Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar.

Although the Congress has informally approached the NCP, so far, no formal proposal has been put forward. The induction of former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma’s daughter and youngest MP, Agadha, into the Union Cabinet, seems to be its first step to woo the NCP leadership.

Incidentally, the NCP will complete 10 years on June 10 this year. The party was started after Pawar, former Lok Sabha speaker Sangma, and Tariq Anwar, were expelled from the party for raising the issue of party president Sonia Gandhi’s foreign nationality.

Later, after the 2004 polls, the Congress succeeded in getting Pawar’s support to form the UPA government at the Centre, and he was made Agriculture Minister in the Union Cabinet. For the first time, the Congress and the NCP contested together in Maharashtra in the recent Lok Sabha elections, and achieved substantial gains, thus weakening the Shiva Sena-BJP combine’s stronghold.

Till the coming out of the Lok Sabha results, Sangma was carrying guns against the Congress for destabilising his government in Meghalaya and openly campaigned for BJP-led NDA candidates in the North-eastern states. However, a sea change in his attitude was seen after his daughter was inducted into the Cabinet. Putting an end to the decade old enmity with Sonia Gandhi, Sangma, for the first time, went to her house along with his daughter on the pretext of inviting her to the wedding of his son. This has given rise to speculations that Sangma is ready to join the Congress.

Strongly reacting to reports that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had extended an invitation to him to join the party, Sangma said that he met the Prime Minister in the Parliament, and extended an invitation to him for the reception of his son's wedding, and the issue of his joining the Congress did not figure in that. "I am fully with Sharad Pawar. He is my leader," he said. However, Pawar dismissed reports of the NCP’s merger with the Congress as a media creation.

Sangma asserted that now the NCP has its own identity and has emerged as a national party. “Sharad Pawar is a leader in his own right. So, where is the question of the NCP merging with the Congress?" he asked. Sangma said that the NCP, with its separate identity, will continue to support the UPA government and cooperate with the Congress.

"We are with the Congress at the Centre, we are with the Congress in Maharashtra, as well as in Goa. Though our attempt to join hands with the Congress did not click in Meghalaya, we will continue to cooperate with them," he added.

Meanwhile, the Congress leaders in Maharashtra are bringing indirect pressure on the NCP to merge with the Congress by openly stating that they will contest alone in the coming Assembly elections, indicating no intention of having any pact with the NCP. However, the NCP leaders don’t seem to be worried.

The arrest of NCP MP and close associate of Pawar, Padamsinh Patil by the CBI in a murder case, is also likely to be used by the Congress to bring pressure on the Congress. Now the Congress has realised that Patil can’t move forward without the NCP in Maharashtra, the largest state after Andhra Pradesh, under its rule. Instead of having a poll alliance, it feels that it would be better to encourage the party to merge with the Congress.

Clearing the clouds over the fate of his party in the wake of Sangma warming up to Sonia Gandhi, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar ruled out a merger of his party with the Congress, declaring that it would maintain its separate existence. At the same time, he emphasised that the NCP's attitude has been one of understanding and cooperation with the Congress and “will continue to be so.”

Pawar also said that his party favoured working with the Congress in the coming Assembly elections in Maharashtra and said, "We feel that the party's (Congress) leadership feels the same way, whatever some leaders in the state may be saying."

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Stage set for Congress Govt in Meghalaya

NEW DELHI, May 13 : The last remaining hurdle in formation of a Congress-led government in Meghlaya has also been removed, when the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by Speaker Bindo M Lanong, seeking transfer of the disqualification of MLAs case to the Apex Court.

Even as the legal battle was going on in Delhi and Shillong, political developments in the State overtook other aspects. A Congress-led government headed by DD Lapang is now expected to be sworn in later this week, immediately after the Presidential notification revoking the Central Rule is issued, sources said.

In a significant development, Congress party has more or less decided to form the government on its own strength and may later induct its alliance partners. The Congress party including an independent has 27 MLAs. Once the disqualification of the four MLAs is revoked then its strength is set to go up to 33 in a House of 60, sources added.

In midst of bargaining with NCP, which has 14 MLAs, a Congress party insider said that they have the option of joining hands with UDP, which has sent feelers to extend unconditional support to the Congress.

The Congress party’s negotiation with NCP is deadlocked over sharing of the ministerial berth. The NCP is demanding four berths including the post of deputy chief minister for Sangma’s son Conrad.

Strengthened by the turn around of events, Lapang has offered only two. Both Sangma and Lapang are currently camping in the capital.

Party sources clarified that it would be a Congress-led government that would be sworn in, though some of the ministerial berths would be kept ‘vacant’ for the allies.

Meanwhile, a three-member Bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of India, KG Balakrishnan dismissed the transfer petition describing it as ‘not maintainable’.

Azim H Laskar, advocate for the legislators told newsmen that the Court has said that transfer petition is not maintainable.

Significantly, the Supreme Court had during an earlier hearing remarked that the Speaker can take the final decision, but left the scope of judicial review open. The Speaker’s contention was that his order under the 10th schedule cannot be questioned by any court.

The apex court’s order now leaves the Speaker with the option of moving the disqualification case before the Shillong bench of the Gauhati High Court.

The legislators were disqualified from the Assembly for ‘violating’ the 10th Schedule of the Constitution after they switched their loyalty from the ruling-MPA to Congress-led MUA.

The four disqualified legislators included Paul Lyngdoh (KHNAM), Sanbor Shullai (NCP), Limison D Sangma and Ismail R Marak.

A similar SLP was also pending before the Gauhati High Court but Lanong moved the apex court pleading that only the Supreme Court should take up the case over disqualification of the four legislators, even as the hearing was going on in the Shillong Bench.

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NCP should come clean on stance over PM's post: Congress

Aurangabad, Mar 7 : It is not only the BJP that is insisting that its ally of over two decades, Shiv Sena, come clean on whom it plans to support for Prime Ministership; Congress is also demanding the same of ruling ally NCP.

"NCP should clarify whom it supports as Prime Ministerial candidate as voters would be confused if the alliance partners face the polls with two different PM candidates," a senior Congress leader said in Aurangabad on Saturday.

"NCP is projecting its chief Sharad Pawar as Prime Ministerial candidate. If it is serious on alliance with Congress, it should clarify its stance on this issue immediately," he said.

Meanwhile, MPCC president Manikrao Thakre told reporters that his party was in favour of following the 2004 elections seat-sharing formula with NCP. "Why should we concede extra seats to NCP," he added.

"The formula that Congress should contest 25 and leave remaining 23 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra is not acceptable to us," he said. In the 2004 polls, Congress contested 27 seats and NCP 21 seats.

READ MORE - NCP should come clean on stance over PM's post: Congress