There is more trouble brewing for the Congress. After the DMK, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is likely to align itself with the Left over the issue of disinvestment of 10 per cent government stake in BHEL.Sources said Sharad Pawar has convened a meeting of NCP leaders tomorrow morning to formulate stand on disinvestment. DMK chief M. Karunanidhi has already written to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh requesting them ‘‘to strictly adhere to National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP).’’ ’Sources said other UPA partners may follow.Their combined effort, according to the sources, would be to win back the Left by making the Congress either review the decision or give an assurance that there would be no more disinvestment in any Navratna PSUs.Congress president Sonia Gandhi, after her return from Himachal, will convene the party core committee to formulate response to the Left letter which said they wound not attend the meeting of the co-ordination committee.Sonia discussed the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the telephone soon after the letter reached her office. According to sources, she immediately conveyed to Left leaders through her political secretary Ahmed Patel that their concerns will be addressed. The Prime Minister called up CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat this morning and assured discussion on the issues raised by the Left.This flurry of activity notwithstanding, Congress leaders are unwilling to face the basic question raised by the Left—the decision to disinvest 10 per cent equity in BHEL. Party general secretary Ambika Soni, when asked if a reversal was possible, said, ‘‘It depends on the Government. How can I answer it?’’ .She said the UPA partners had come together on the common platform of secularism. She said, ‘‘I don’t think any problem is going to be big enough to undermine the basic objective of UPA to keep communal forces out of power.’’
