NCP pitches for Pawar as PM

The Nationalist Congress Party delinked pre-poll scenarios from possible post-poll developments while pitching for Sharad Pawar as prime ministerial candidate, reports Saroj Nagi.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) delinked pre-poll scenarios from possible post-poll developments while pitching for Sharad Pawar as prime ministerial candidate.

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“The NCP wants him to be PM… He has the capacity,” said spokesman D.P. Tripathy, adding that while the NCP may not have the numbers, much would depend on the post-poll situation. “I.K. Gujral became PM, so did Chandrashekhar, who received outside support from 211 members,” he recalled.

Speaking after the NCP’s working committee meeting, Tripathy said the UPA would fight the Lok Sabha elections under PM Manmohan Singh’s leadership but the question of who would be PM would be decided after the polls. He also said Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule would contest from his Baramati parliamentary seat, but the party wants him to enter the fray too.

The NCP has been in touch with UPA allies like the RJD, LJP and DMK as well as the Samajwadi Party and Left. Pawar will shortly meet the CPM’s Prakash Karat.

Building pressure on the Congress, the NCP — which wants to contest 45-50 seats — demanded it start seat-sharing talks and ensure polls under the UPA banner. If this doesn’t happen, it threatened to finalise candidates by February 6.