Assembly polls to put Cong, NCP’s new bonhomie to test

The three Congress retiring MPs, Saroj Khaparde, V N Gadgil and Govindrao Adik, are obviously keen to be renominated. But none of them stand a chance as Khaparde had been in the Rajya Sabha for four consecutive terms while Adik is considered a staunch Sharad Pawar man. Gadgil’s fragile health is unlikely to get him a renomination.

The names of film star Dilip Kumar, former Union Home Secretary Ram Pradhan and Murli Deora are being mentioned in the Congress for nomination. Pradhan’s failure to make itto the Rajya Sabha in 1998 due to cross-voting by some Congress MLAs has made it difficult for him to get renomination. Secondly, the group opposed to Pradhan in the Sonia Gandhi establishment is also averse to letting him inside the Upper House this time too.

This leaves Dilip Kumar and Murli Deora in the race. Deora is considered close to Sonia and his loss of a Lok Sabha seat by a narrow margin due to a split in the anti-Bharatiya Janata Party votes has earned him sympathy. But Pawar is strongly opposed to him. He may insist on Sonia choosing an acceptable candidate if at all he agrees to surrender surplus votes.Since Dilip Kumar has campaigned actively for the Congress during this election, Sonia may nominate him for the Rajya Sabha.

But Pawar has a problem in his own party as one of his confidants, Praful Patel, lost his Lok Sabha seat. Since Pawar is committed to nominate Devendra Nath Dwivedi, NCP general secretary and spokesman, to the Rajya Sabha, he may insist on Sonia surrendering theCongress’ surplus votes to the NCP. In return, he is willing to give up one MLC seat to the Congress.Pawar has successfully accommodated Datta Meghe as minister in the state after he lost in the Lok Sabha polls and is keen to nominate Patel and Dwivedi.

An All India Congress Committee-I office-bearer said there was no question of surrendering surplus votes to the NCP in 2000. The NCP is also disinclined to surrender surplus votes to the Congress.