The presidential elections have brought about a stalemate in the ongoing Congress and NCP tug of war, which is being witnessed in the state in the past few months. With the Congress high command trying to bring about a consensus amongst the UPA allies on the issue of a Congress nominee for the presidential election, it has put on hold the state unit’s attempt to take on the NCP.
After the NCP’s tieups with the BJP and Shiv Sena in the recent zila parishad and legislative council elections, state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre claimed that the NCP has breached the “coalition dharma”. During a MPCC meeting held at Tilak Bhavan in Mumbai last month, Mr Thakre announced that the party will go it alone in the 2014 elections. He reiterated the same sentiments about the coalition with the NCP in his speech at the extended Congress Working Committee meet in New Delhi. However, the party high command has not taken Mr Thakre’s views positively, informed a senior AICC functionary.
“At this moment, the presidential elections are the priority. The Congress high command was in no mood to discuss the party’s strategy in the 2014 elections. In fact, the high command has asked the MPCC president to go slow on the NCP issue. The high command has also advised him to prepare a conducive situation for the Congress in Maharashtra before taking such extreme stance,” the AICC functionary said.
According to another senior state Congress leader, the party’s declining position in the state is also a reason why the high command did not entertain the state Congress’ calls to go it alone. “In several of the districts, the party status ranges from bad to worse. Unless and until the MPCC fortifies weak districts, it is actually in no position to take on the NCP. In fact, the recent local body elections which were considered a mini general elections, saw the NCP emerging as the number one party,” he said.