Re-elected, NCP chief says no to homecoming

In the season of party conventions, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) would certainly not like to be left behind. The party held a one-da...

In the season of party conventions, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) would certainly not like to be left behind. The party held a one-day convention in the Capital where officials unanimously re-elected Sharad Pawar as party president for the second time.

It is no coincidence the timing of the NCP’s convention, a breakaway group of former Congressmen, coincided with the two-day conclave of Cms of 15 Congress-ruled states, where the latter is likely to discuss political alliances with various non-NDA parties for the coming Assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections next year.

The NCP convention was presided by Pawar and senior party leaders P.A. Sangma, Tariq Anwar, V.C. Shukla, Jagannath Mishra and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal were present. The party moved a resolution which reiterated its stand of being neither pro-BJP or Congress. ‘‘There is no difference between the BJP and Congress, the former pursues hard Hindutva, the latter soft Hindutva,’’ said Sangma.

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The NCP top brass accused the Congress of several faults: It failed to dislodge the BJP-BSP government in UP when the latter was cracking under defections; it failed to provide a credible alternative to the NDA Government; it competed with the BJP in exploiting Hindutva.

‘‘The NCP will endeavour to work towards dislodging the BJP-led NDA Government and intensify its efforts to bring about better coordination amongst like-minded secular parties,’’ the resolution said.

Pawar also pooh-poohed the Centre’s peace initiatives saying the PM was ‘‘blowing hot and cold’’ on the Indo-Pak front.