NCP resolution fails to match Third Front talk

Though Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar doesn't see any third front emerging as an alternative to the Congress or BJP, the political resolution adopted by the party's third national convention here says exactly the opposite.

It calls upon "secular and like-minded parties" to come together to fight communalism as Congress is too busy in internal quarrels.

On Saturday, while addressing a press conference, Sharad Pawar said, "We don't foresee third front emerging as an alternative to Congress or BJP in the near future."

But, the resolution goes on to say: "Congress due to its capitalistic policies and internal fights, is not in a position to take on the communal and reactionary forces and that is why it becomes necessary for secular, progressive and democratic parties to come together."

The resolution also asks the party leadership to continue the process of dialogue initiated by it among like-minded parties during last year's NCP convention in Surat.

However, party spokesman D P Tripathi denied that through this resolution NCP was trying to revive attempts to create the Third Front. "This resolution merely reflects today's political reality and underlines that Congress alone can't fight communal forces," he said.

The political resolution passed at the party's extended national executive committee meeting on Saturday also asks for greater role for the non-Congress constituents of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the UPA-Left Co-ordination Committee meetings.

Underlining the need for representation on the co-ordination committee, the resolution says, "There is a need to change the Congress-Left character of the UPA-Left Co-ordination Committee for good governance and better dialogue between UPA and its largest outside supporter, the Left."

The resolution also asks for regular meetings of the committee and threadbare discussion on policy issues before they come up in the Cabinet.

This resolution is seen as an attempt by Pawar to create a pressure group of small constituents of UPA. However, Pawar's earlier such attempts didn't bear any fruit.

"Sometimes different voices are raised by the UPA constituents or our Left friends after a decision is taken in the Cabinet, but if there is regular dialogue process among all partners then chances of miscommunication remain minimal," Tripathi said.