Nation above region: Pawar

National interest is supreme,Pawar,an old friend of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray who has been espousing the cause of Marathis,told around 300 NCP delegates.

“The NCP has always given more importance to national interest than politics on issues like language,region or caste,” he said. “Our party is stronger in rural areas but we can’t ignore big cities. Cities are changing,becoming multi-lingual. We should focus on conserving the multi-lingual identity of cities and ignore controversies over language and region.”

Pawar’s remarks indicate his party is seeking to give itself a pan-India face by expanding base in major states for the next LS polls in general and face Assembly polls in states like Bihar in particular,party officials said. The party,formed a decade ago after Pawar broke away from the Congress,is strong only in Maharashtra.

He had hobnobbed with Thackeray in the run-up to the LS poll last year,when Pawar-supporters projected him as the prime ministerial candidate. The NCP also formed an alliance with the Sena in the Pune Municipal Corporation to keep Congress away from power in the civic body. It also teamed up with the BJP and the Sena to back independent Rahul Bajaj for the Rajya Sabha,defeating the Congress nominee.

Four years ago,when the Congress and the NCP could not form a pre-poll alliance for the civic polls in Mumbai,local Congressmen had accused the NCP of deliberately breaking off to help the Sena retain power.

Konkan bypoll: Cong not happy with NCP nominee
The Congress and the NCP appear heading for a conflict over the NCP nominee for the bypoll for the MLC seat from Konkan local bodies’ constituency,to be held on March 26. The NCP nominating state Finance Minister Sunil Tatkare’s brother Anil has annoyed the Congress,besides the local NCP cadre.

Anil had contested as a rebel against official Congress nominee Ravisheth Patil in the Assembly poll from Pen (Raigad) last year and played the spoiler.

“We are surprised the NCP chose Anil Tatkare,” a senior Congress leader said. “It is going to be difficult for us to get our men to vote for him.”

Anil is also facing resentment from former NCP MLA Manikrao Jagtap,contesting as a rebel against him in the bypoll. Jagtap has refused to withdraw — the last day for withdrawal was Friday— pointing out Anil had been expelled from the party after he contested against Patil but the party revoked his expulsion on the eve of the bypoll.