The NCP’s attempts to get space among youth and the working class, especially industrial workers outside Maharashtra, have cautioned Congress managers. They feel Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar is working on a political strategy which can be relevant after the West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Mr Pawar has been rebuilding his party after the Lok Sabha elections last year. Recently, he had reviewed performance of his ministers in Maharashtra at a meeting in Mumbai. He asked them to be accessible to people and focus on public works.
Later, he had addressed a rally of the Nationalist Youth Congress in New Delhi and on Monday he would be launching the National Labour Federation here on the historic August Kranti Din.
Significantly, Mr Pawar has already made it clear that he wants to devote more time for his party.
Interestingly, the NCP is the only Congress ally in the UPA wanting to spread outside Maharashtra. The other partners like the DMK, Trinamul Congress and the National Conference have state-specific agenda and ambition.
According to Congress insiders, the political scenario in the country would be clearer after two years, especially following the Assembly polls in Bihar, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
The Left, Samajwadi Party, RJD, AIADMK and perhaps the BSP would have to review their political strategies either individually or collectively while the BJP too would be compelled to take some strategic decisions. The Trinamul Congress’ first priority now would be to check the Congress in West Bengal after realising that the Left Front is on its way out in the state. On the other hand, the DMK would have to make it clear whether the Congress would share power with it after the polls. The Congress would like to continue its alliance with the Trinamul Congress and the DMK in the Lok Sabha elections if the two parties come to power in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. But in Maharashtra, the Congress’ line could be different because of the pressure from the state Congress which would want to fight on its own. The current mood in the Congress is of going it alone. The Sonia Gandhi-led party does not want to ally either with the RJD or any other party mainly because it feels a defeat of the RJD, LJP or other secular parties would help its gain in the long run.
In UP, the Congress is not depending either on the SP or the BSP in the absence of the BJP for a political space.
This has perhaps cautioned even its own allies in the UPA.