Days after losing ‘national’ tag, NCP enters Karnataka poll fray

“We are meeting in Mumbai tomorrow (Saturday) to finalise our plans for the Karnataka polls,” NCP chief Sharad Pawar told reporters in Delhi on Friday. Leaders from the party’s Karnataka unit too had been invited for the meet, NCP insiders said, adding the party may contest 40-45 seats.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has decided to contest the Karnataka assembly elections, scheduled for May 10, in a first step to get back its ‘national’ status which was dropped by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in a recent order.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on Thursday. Last week, Pawar in Nashik said that the party would field candidates for six-seven seats in the bordering areas as they wanted to ensure unity among Marathi-speaking people. (PTI)

“We are meeting in Mumbai tomorrow (Saturday) to finalise our plans for the Karnataka polls,” NCP chief Sharad Pawar told reporters in Delhi on Friday.

Leaders from the party’s Karnataka unit too had been invited for the meet, NCP insiders said, adding the party may contest 40-45 seats.

“As we have decided to fight all the upcoming polls, we will also seek to contest as many seats as we can to receive the required voting percentage which in turn will help us get our national status restored,” a senior NCP leader said. “A decision is expected to be made at Saturday’s meeting.”

Last week, Pawar in Nashik said that the party would field candidates for six-seven seats in the bordering areas as they wanted to ensure unity among Marathi-speaking people. The party will also have to decide if they want to approach the Congress for an alliance in Karnataka or not. This may create difficulty for the Congress which is said to be in a strong position to win the polls.

On Thursday, Pawar met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi and declared that they were committed for opposition unity against the BJP.

The ECI on April 10 withdrew the ‘national’ tag from the NCP for its failure to meet the eligibility criteria required to keep it. The party has also lost ‘state party’ status in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya.