Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to strengthen its base in the tribal State (Jharkhand) and in this connection NCP national president and Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar is going to visit the State on March 07. The NCP has scheduled a workers meet at Harmu ground on Sunday. Apart from Pawar, NCP's Rajya Sabha member and general secretary Praful Patel, NCP women wing president Fauzia Khan will also attend the workers meet.
The Maharasthra leader will also meet Chief Minister Hemant Soren discussing State political issues. This is the first visit of Pawar to Jharkhand after the state was carved out of Bihar in 2000.
NCP State president and party's lone MLA from Hussainabad Kamlesh Kumar Singh said that in the workers meet party leaders from 24 districts will attend the meet. The party has expected a target of nearly 20,000 workers attending the meet.
The NCP aims to strengthen its base as a party in alliance with other UPA partner targets to contest three to four Lok Sabha seats, while in Assembly the party target is to contest 10 to 12 assembly seats.
Meanwhile, ahead of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's maiden visit to State Capital on March 7 (Sunday), party's lone MLA and former minister Kamlesh Kumar Singh on Friday expressed hope and expectation that the NCP will get due representation in Chief Minister Hemant Soren Cabinet and in board and corporations.
Singh, who had represented Hussainabad twice though did not directly put forward his claim for ministerial berth but said, “It is the prerogative of the Chief Minister whom to make a minister. I am not staking claim for ministerial berth in Soren Cabinet, but as NCP is an old partner of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and supports Hemant Soren Government the party should get due share and representation in Cabinet.”
Singh’s remark assumes importance as the RJD, which too has lone MLA in Assembly, has representation with Satyanand Bhokta holding a ministerial berth in the Soren Cabinet. The JMM/Congress/RJD government in State has outside support of NCP and CPI (ML) in Government.
Singh was elected from Hussainabad for first time in 2005 and had also served as minister in Arjun Munda and Madhu Koda cabinet.
NCP youth wing leader Surya Singh said, “Pawar Saheb is one of the tallest leaders in Indian politics. Pawar Saheb who has over sixty years of public service has held the post of Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Defence and Agriculture minister during UPA government.”
Surya further said, “The greatest contribution of Pawar jee is that it was during his tenure as agriculture minister that MSP of paddy was hiked from Rs 500/600 per quintal to Rs 1200 per quintal.”