Want share in govt to stay: NCP
The NCP said on Friday that it will strive to set up a non-Congress secular and democratic front in different parts of the country while remaining in the UPA.
The NCP initiative comes at a time when the Congress has indicated that it is not interested in continuing with the coalition politics. It had fought the Lok Sabha seats in U
P on its own and will fight the coming Bihar Ass-embly polls without all-iance. “We would like to be with the Congress but the Congress does not want us to be with them.... If the Congress does not give us space, we will try to find our own space,” NCP general secretary D.P. Tripathi told reporters answering questions on Friday. “The NCP, now is part of the LDF in Kerala and will contest elections next year as part of this front,” he said.
On the SDF, he said, “We are trying to mobilise other secular parties under the SDF.” He said the NCP will remain with the Trinamul Congress and fight the West Bengal Assembly elections against the Marxists.
Asked whether the move to form the SDF is a first step to come out of the UPA, he clarified that NCP would remain with the UPA at the Centre and with the Congress in Maharashtra.
On the party’s approach to Bihar, Mr Tripathi said: “If the Congress does not have an alliance with us, we will go with the smaller parties”.
The Bihar elections are due later in 2010 and the Congress has indicated that it will fight alone.
Asked if it was ethical for the NCP to be part of the UPA and oppose its policies, Mr Tripathi shot back: “It is absolutely ethical”.
On Mr Pawar’s request to the PM about reducing his burden, Mr Tripathi said that the NCP would like the principles of coalition to be upheld. “The coalition principles state that the share of the constituent party in the government should not be reduced or taken away. We wish our share in government to remain, but it is for the PM to decide,” he said.
Taking its bitterness with the Congress to new lengths, Mr Tripathi said the party will be part of the LDF protests in Kerala against price rise. But when confronted with the fact that the Left protests are against Mr Pawar’s handling of the price issue, he sought to wriggle out saying “the protests are not against an individual but against the UPA government”.
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