Pawar `credits’ Cong debacle to Sonia leadership

Pawar said that a few Congress leaders wanted Sonia Gandhi as president so that they could control the party. He said the Congress suffered humiliating defeat in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where it had won the Assembly elections a year back, because Sonia Gandhi was projected as the future prime minister. He said the Congress leaders were not ready to consider voters’ sentiments even though party rank and file was highly disturbed.

Pawar said the NCP would maintain its separate identity and demonstrate that the party was different from the Congress. He said the party would change its flag, which was similar to that of the Congress. He said several political leaders, including a few Congressmen, were eager to join the NCP.

Pawar also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that the controversy over the visit of Pope to India had proved that the party had not changed its mind even if it had kept aside some issues like Article 371 and the Ram temple. He said BJP could come back to power because of Kargil and strategic alliance with regional parties.

Pawar made several suggestions to the delegates to strengthen the party organisation. He said the party should try to attract young and middle aged voters, who constituted 64 per cent of the total number of electorates. Pawar suggested that the party should not concentrate merely on rural issues but should also deal with urban problems since 40 per cent voters were from urban centres.

Pawar cautioned the workers saying that it was difficult for the party to make the organisation strong while it was sharing power with the Congress in Maharashtra. He said the NCP joined hands with Congress to honour the mandate and added that his party would take all the sincere steps to complete the term. He said the success of Democratic Front government would depend on the leaders who were running the government.

Pawar also criticised Giridhar Gamang government in Orissa for its failure to tackle the cyclone problem. He said the entire administration in Orissa had come to standstill.