Anti-incumbency factor exists against UPA: NCP

NCP today said that there is a "certain anti-incumbancy" factor in Lok Sabha elections against Congress-led UPA after 10 years in power but dismissed suggestions of a "Modi wave".

Party General Secretary D P Tripathi said that when someone is in power for 10 long years, there is bound to be anti-incumbancy factor and the content and style in the campaigning will also be on the defensive.

NCP is the second largest party in UPA.

He said this was natural in the democratic process but there is no "Modi wave" is clear from the fact that even the opinion polls are giving BJP a maximum of 230 seats and not even a simple majoirity of 272.

"When you talk of a wave, it is a two-thirds majority," Tripathi told reporters here, noting that since 1989, no political party has got even a simple majority.

The NCP leader said that party chief Sharad Pawar has asked him to campaign in Amethi and Rae Barely from where Rahul and Sonia Gandhi are contesting.

He said that Pawar and party leader Praful Patel are likely to campaign for Congress candidates in Varanasi and Vadodara respectively.

Tripathi said that Congress should finalise its candidate for Varanasi and if Congress cannot decide on its nominee, NCP is ready to field its candidate.

"Even I am ready to contest elections against Modi," he said.

He made a strong plea of a joint candidate of non-BJP parties against Modi in Varanasi but ruled out supporting Arvind Kejriwal of AAP.

"I am always afraid of 'always correct and never wrong' individuals who think nothing has happened good in the country," the NCP leader remarked.