Poll-bound NCP hints Sharad Pawar as PM candidate

Firebrand leader & Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar says that giving CM's post to Congress had been a mistake

The ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has been trargetted by its co-partner and opposition parties in connection with slew of scams, in a bid to divert focus revealed that party chief and union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar will be ready to become Prime Minister in case of consensus.

Further, Pawar's newphew and firebrand deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar announced that NCP would elect the next Chief Minister after the assembly elections slated for 2014.

Ajit claimed it had been a mistake to offer the Chief Minister’s post to the Congress after the 2004 elections.

NCP's high profile leader and union minister for heavy industries Praful Patel in a TV interview said if there is a situation where there is a consensus  on the issue, Sharad Pawar will be certainly ready to become the Prime Minister.

However, he clarified that to talk like this now is basically wrong. Currently, NCP has nine members in the Lok Sabha though the party has expressed its desire to win at least 15 of the total 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra during 2014 elections to increase its bargaining power.

Moreover, Praful said Pawar will remain NCP President and the reins of the party will be with him even if he did not contest elections. He reiterated that Pawar will be NCP's candidate for the post of Prime Minister.


Praful chose to reveal party's view point on Pawar's role after 2014 elections when the tensions between NCP and Congress are mounting. Both the parties though have to take a formal stand have been threatening to fight separately in the next parliamentary and assembly elections.

More importantly, Praful's timing is also crucial when Congress, which is leading the UPA, is attacked from all corners. Further, Praful has also dropped sufficient hints to the Congress party not to take NCP for a ride as it can explore multiple options to consolidate its position both in the Lok Sabha and also in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

On the other hand, Ajit Pawar in an interview to a national daily has not hidden his ambition to become chief minister by declaring that NCP would insist on more seats for both the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections slated for 2014. Ajit went on to add that the NCP would elect the next chief minister of Maharashtra.

Ajit subtly expressed there was nothing wrong in aspiring to be chief minister but clarified that the NCP Legislature Party would have to elect the chief minister. NCP has 62 members in the 288 state assembly.

NCP state unit chief Madhukar Pichad told Business Standard "NCP has emerged as number one in civic and local bodies in Maharashtra. The party will certainly aim for winning more seats in the Lok Sabha and also in the state assembly."

He said a meeting of nearly 2000 party members including district presidents and elected representatives has been convened on March 7 in Mumbai to decide election strategy.