NCP sulks but Cong says no problem

The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on Friday maintained “there was no problem” with alliance partner Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and grievances, if any, had been settled. However, NCP members continued to sulk and indications at the ground revealed the problems that had led to the breach between the parties remained, and were likely to fester.

Sources said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, NCP leader Sharad Pawar had offered to pull out of the government, while continuing to back the UPA from outside. The move could also have ramifications for the Maharashtra government, a Congress-NCP alliance.

Hours after Pawar met Singh on Friday, the prime minister said Pawar was an “asset to the (UPA) government. Last night, Pawar had also met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. The NCP, which believes it has been playing the role of a “responsible ally” for the past eight years, feels short-changed. Speaking to reporters, Praful Patel said the party felt limited by the UPA.

The grouse had been building up for some time. Sources say NCP was upset at the fact that the Congress had never offered the party key post—while appointing governors and heads of commissions, and nominating members to the Rajya Sabha. “Even in the government, we are never consulted on decisions,” said a party member.

In Maharashtra, NCP felt the Congress was targeting it on the Lavasa project. Former environment minister Jairam Ramesh’s move to cancel the project promoted by Pawar had resulted in Pawar losing both money and goodwill.

Earlier this year, Pawar had written to the prime minister, criticising the food ministry, headed by K V Thomas, and the textile ministry, under Anand Sharma, for “ambivalent” and anti-farmer policies. In the letter, Pawar had termed the restrictions on cotton exports “retrograde”. The elevation of A K Antony to the second slot in the government’s scheme of things proved the last straw, leading to the breach.

However, Praful Patel denied this on Friday. “Pawar is not such a petty leader who would raise such a petty issue. Our issues are larger. The issue of ‘No. 2’ has been blown out of proportion...By virtue of his stature, Pawar sits next to Sonia (in Parliament) and used to sit next to Pranab Mukherjee (in Cabinet meetings)….He (Pawar) had not asked for it. He was not given this according to numbers. If that is the logic, NCP had fewer numbers in UPA-I (the UPA government’s first term). The UPA and the Congress leadership realise by his stature, he brings much more to the table.”

The Congress core group, which met this evening at the prime minister’s residence, took up the issue, and according to party sources, “it had been settled”. However, NCP, which held several meetings on Friday at Pawar’s residence, said it would again meet on Monday to discuss the issue.

Congress sources said, “This is mere muscle flexing by NCP. There is no ‘No. 2’ in the rule book. So what is the issue they are trying to make up?”

The weekend is likely to be a tense one for the Congress, as NCP continues to exert pressure on the party.