UPA poll debacle: NCP blames Congress for lack of political dialogue

After blaming "communication deficit" in Congress leadership for the UPA poll debacle, NCP today slammed the party for the breakdown in political dialogue with allies and attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for failing to assert himself.

The NCP also sent a message to the Congress that it should get more seats to contest in the upcoming Assembly polls in Maharashtra as the position of its ally has weakened in the state, as evident from the Lok Sabha results.

As the public introspection of the UPA rout continued, top NCP leaders said it appeared that voters rejected those who were with the alliance.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar and party colleague Praful Patel gave the party's assessment while addressing a meeting of party functionaries here.

Pointing to the success of Mamata Banerjee(TMC), Jayalalitha(AIADMK), Naveen Patnaik(BJD) and TDP and TRS, Pawar said it seemed that the people rejected those who were with UPA.

Patel said Manmohan Singh's failure to assert himself and the complete breakdown of political dialogue with allies led to the rout in the Lok Sabha polls.

Opponents succeeded in the conspiracy to malign Congress and UPA, he said.

The Prime Minister wasn't seen for two months and it was Rahul Gandhi who led the campaign, he said, ruing that no prime ministerial candidate was projected by the Congress.

The political discourse (among allies) which was there in UPA-1 wasn't there in UPA-2, Patel added.

"Last time, when we got less seats than Congress in Lok Sabha polls, they said they should get more Assembly seats to contest. We should remember it this time when we sit to discuss seat sharing," Pawar said.

Pawar said Congress and NCP should not lose time in finalising sharing of seats and start preparations for Assembly polls.

"While finalising seat sharing we should remember that we have won more seats...Our position has improved," he said.

During the last Assembly polls in 2009, NCP had contested 114 seats compared to 174 by Congress in the 288- member House. In the recent Lok Sabha polls, NCP won four and Congress two seats in the state.

Pawar also lamented that despite decisions like food security act it is a reality that the UPA did not get the success it ought to have got.

The NCP yesterday attributed the UPA rout mainly to the "communication deficit" on part of the outgoing prime minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.