The NCP on Thursday further queered the pitch for the Congress by announcing its inclination to align with other ‘like-minded parties’ even as there is a growing clamour for a change of guard in Maharashtra in view of the Assembly polls in the next few months.
The NCP’s latest positioning coupled with demands from several quarters from within the alliance’s quarters for replacing Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan saw the Congress pitching in its seniors leaders AK Antony and Ahmed Patel to meet NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.
Antony and Patel met Pawar at his residence and discussed the political scenario of the State keeping in view the Assembly polls. While Chavan’s fate was deliberated, discussions on seat sharing besides reports of the NCP looking for alliances were also held, sources said.
After the Congress’ dismal poll showing in the lok Sabha elections, the demand for replacing Chavan gained momentum and NCP is reportedly more amenable to former Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s name. Shinde, a dalit face of the party, has earlier served as the CM of the State. Names of other leaders like State Revenue Minister Bala Saheb Thorat and Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil are also doing the rounds for the post of CM.
The Congress and the NCP have not been in good terms in recent times with the latter squarely blaming the Congress high command and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the worst ever electoral performance. Former Union Minister Praful Patel, in fact, went to the extent of praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The NCP won four and Congress two of the 48 lok Sabha seats in the State in the lok Sabha elections last month.
One of the topics during the Pawar-Antony-Patel meeting was the NCP’s assertion about favouring alliances with all like-minded, secular parties and a proposed meeting with BSP supremo Mayawati.
“NCP is open to explore the option of aligning with like-minded, secular parties. Our leaders will start talks with such parties soon. Even though a section of the party feels it should contest the Assembly polls separately, no decision on this has been taken. In fact, we are of the view that all like-minded parties should be taken along. Division of votes has to be avoided,” party spokesman Nawab Malik said in Mumbai.
NCP expects the seat-sharing talks to consider the strengths of each party and merit and winnability of a candidate for each seat while deciding on the seat adjustment. In 2009, the Congress contested 174 and the NCP 114 Assembly seats.