Union agriculture minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, Sharad Pawar, on Sunday said the ruling UPA-II coalition in Delhi must revive “aggressive” economic decisions to boost growth and attract investments. And, the Manmohan Singh government “must rigorously pursue” continuous dialogue with the ruling-front allies for the passage of the much-delayed reforms and related bills. Consultations with the Opposition, too, was crucial, given the present numbers of the Congress allies in Parliament, he added.
Pawar, who has been critical about the “slow” economic and financial reforms of the regime, said India needs to go in for a major drive to instill confidence among investors and globally indicate that New Delhi was capable of taking strong decisions. “I am confident the government will complete its tenure in 2014.”
What I expect, though, is the revival of aggressive economic decisions, including FDI (foreign direct investment) in multi-brand retail and the passage of the Pension Bill,” he said. Pawar, who was speaking to Business Standard at the sidelines of a Panchayat Raj conference organised here by the state NCP unit, recalled the UPA-1 could carry out a reform process and pass key bills in Parliament through sustained talks with the Left parties that supported the government from outside.
Pawar asks Sangma to toe party line in Prez polls
NCP on Sunday gave a strong message to P A Sangma, one of its topmost leaders, to toe the line of the party which was supporting finance minister Pranab Mukherjee as the ruling UPA’s presidential candiate. Pawar hoped that Sangma would give up his desire to contest the polls as the representative of the country’s tribal community. Mukherjee would win the polls “comfortably” as it “has sufficient votes”.
“Sangma and his two sons are currently members of Meghalaya Assembly, while his daughter Agatha won the Lok Sabha elections and is a minister in the UPA government. They have all got elected on the NCP symbol,” Pawar said. “Our party has already declared that it would wholeheartedly support the UPA nominee. There is no going back on this stand. Therefore, if Sangma toes the party line, it is good for him. The party will anyway go ahead with its stand on the presidential elections,” he noted.
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Pawar’s statement drops the hint that Sangma and his two sons and the daughter may attract disqualification if goes against the party line.
Pawar, who has been a trusted UPA ally, set at rest speculation that the Congress party evaded discussions with the ruling-front allies before finalising its candidate for the Presidential polls. “In fact, the Congress had, since last month, been talking to all UPA allies on the matter,” he claimed.
He said Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee exhibited “impatience” after declaring that Mukherjee was Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s first choice as the presidential candidate, followed by Hamid Ansari, the present Vice President. “There is no truth in the claim that the UPA allies did not discuss Mukherjee’s name,” he added.
On the Shiv Sena’s absence at the BJP-led NDA’s Delhi meeting earlier in the day to decide the strategy for presidential elections, Pawar said he knew in advance about that move by Bal Thackeray’s party. “I had already had a word with the Sena leadership on the presidential election,” he added.