Pawar downplays Rahul anointment

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), coalition partner of Congess in Maharashtra and at the Centre, has downplayed Rahul Gandhi’s appointment as the vice-president, saying that was an internal matter.

Asked if his party would cooperate if Gandhi became head of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, party chief Sharad Pawar, also Union agriculture minister, quipped: “How can I react to an event which has not taken place?” He dismissed a query on similarly elevating his daughter, Rajya Sabha member Supriya Sule.

At the same time, his nephew and the state’s deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, declared the NCP was gearing for a vigorous fight in next year’s elections. And, he said, the NCP cadre had a one-point aim ahead of it -- to increase the party’s tally in both the legislative assemby and the Lok Sabha.

Uncle and nephew have both dropped sufficient indication that the NCP would not unilaterally break the Congress alliance, as the party was keen to keep communal forces at bay.

However, the duo have also said, the NCP would not compromise the interest of the party and its workers in the process.

In her speech at the party’s recent ‘Chintan Shivir’ at Jaipur, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had said there was a need to strike a fine balance in dealing with alliance partners, while ensuring the party's rejuvenation was not compromised. That was a reply to a section of Congress leaders who wish to sever links with the NCP.

An NCP state general secretary, who did not want to be identified, told Business Standard: “Rahul Gandhi has been toeing the idea of the Congress party going alone in Maharashtra even if it loses power in the 2014 elections. The Congress is free to take its decision and so is the NCP. The NCP is preparing itself to face any eventuality.”

Maharashtra Congress party spokesman Sachin Sawant said the party high command would decide on the NCP alliance. “As directed by our party president, the Congress will make all efforts to build the party organisation and fight the next elections to defeat communal forces,” he said.