NCP puts off pullout decision by a day,Agatha quits Cabinet

NCP sources said Agatha’s resignation would be accepted notwithstanding the outcome of its standoff with the Congress. Agatha had earned the party’s wrath for canvassing for her father P A Sangma in his failed presidential bid as the NDA nominee. She was not available for comment.

The continuation of Pawar and Union Minister Praful Patel in the government,from which they had offered to resign in separate communications to Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi last week,however,hinges on the Congress’s response to their demands. The Congress is learnt to be “agreeable” to the setting up of a coordination mechanism both at the Centre and in the state.

The NCP Working Committee meeting here today,sources said,was divided on the issue of a pullout from the UPA government. Patel said the committee had decided to hold further consultations with party leaders from Maharashtra and a decision is likely to be arrived at tomorrow and “no later than the day after tomorrow”.

Patel also had a brief discussion with Sonia in the Central Hall of Parliament today.

“As far as the UPA is concerned,we have made it clear that we are a part of the UPA and will continue to support the government and the UPA till the very end,” he said.

NCP general secretary D P Tripathi denied that the functioning of their alliance government in Maharashtra was the central issue behind the current standoff. “The issue is not about Maharashta; it is about rashtra,” he quipped.

Attacking sections of the Congress for fuelling speculation that the NCP was keen to destabilise the Maharashtra government,Patel said: “The NCP is as committed as the Congress to providing good government and clean government in Maharashta. Sections of the Congress are spreading canards to malign the NCP.” He appealed to the Congress leadership to “pull up” such party leaders.

Patel said that he concurred with Defence Minister A K Antony that all members in the Union Cabinet were equal and that there was no senior or junior Cabinet Minister. “Pawar is not seeking the chair next to the Prime Minister. Current standoff is not a ploy to seek anything,” he said.

The Congress,in the mean time,sought to play down the rift with the NCP. AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said the issues between the two parties would be resolved through talks. “Such situations keep arising in coalition politics. These things are generally resolved through talks and mutual understanding. Let us hope for the best,” Dwivedi told reporters here.

Congress sources,however,admitted that the issues raised by the NCP were mainly related to Maharashtra. There is no talk of replacing Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan yet,with sources saying that the problem could be of approach and style of functioning,which could be resolved.