Pawar predicts hung assembly

The Union Agriculture Minister expressed hope that NCP would play a key role in formation of the next Govt.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has said the possibility of a hung assembly in Assam could not be ruled out.

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Addressing mediapersons in Guwahati on Wednesday, he expressed hope that the NCP would be playing a key role in the formation of the next government in the state.

"We can form a coalition with other secular parties, including the Congress," he said and added that the BJP would be kept out of such coalition.

Pawar, who came here to campaign for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidates, said the party has fielded 22 candidates in the second phase of election on April 10.

Party General Secretary Tariq Anwar and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel have also campaigned for the NCP candidates.

"The trend of voting in the first phase indicated that no single party will get a majority in the state," he said.

Talking about the possibility of forming a non-Congress and non-BJP government in the state, he said the NCP had decided to fight elections in Kerala and West Bengal with the Left Parties and tried such alliance in Assam.

But, the efforts went in vain as the CPI and CPI(M) did not agree to it.

Pawar said the NCP would extend support to secular parties to form the government with a Common Minimum Programme.

"Our party will focus on agriculture, employment generation and development of tourism in the state," he added.