Tags:
Journalism of Courage
It is one step forward and two steps back for Sharad Pawar, who is tenuously balancing internal politics in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with the etiquette of being a coalition partner with Congress.
In the last two days, Pawar had done various versions of his stand on Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin issue. He had brought the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra to the brink of collapse following his remarks at a NCP rally in Delhi that some parties needed to ‘‘import leadership’’.
|
Cong slams NCP, BJP for double standards
|
|
NEW DELHI: Congress on Tuesday criticised the NCP and the BJP for their double standards for questioning Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin. In the first counter-attack against Sharad Pawar’s statement about ‘‘imported leadership’’, Congress chief spokesperson Jaipal Reddy stated: ‘‘Some among those who have engaged themselves in a malicious and motivated propaganda against our leader are the same that had gone running to Gandhi and requested her to save the Congress by assuming its leadership.’’ Reddy asked: ‘‘How is it that the same leaders now want the people to believe that India’s premier political party, now in power in 14 states, is not safe under its present leadership?’’ (ENS) |
While the dust has settled with the Congress withdrawing from the firing line first, Pawar and the NCP had stuck vehemently to the issue. In a surprise statement yesterday, the NCP chief said his statement was ‘‘a casual remark’’ and that he ‘‘had not even named Sonia Gandhi’’.
Referring to his remark, Pawar had also said: ‘‘You don’t talk everything serious in public meetings…Some jokes and lighter things are also necessary.’’ He also urged the Congress to finalise the alliance with NCP.
While the Congress was considering this, Pawar clarified today that his party was in favour of ‘‘high constitutional offices going to people of Indian origin’’.
He also said today that while the Nationalist Congress Party would look forward to an alliance with the Congress, it would not ‘‘dilute’’ the party’s stand against Sonia’s origin. ‘‘Seat adjustment does not mean accepting the leadership of Sonia Gandhi at the national level,’’ Pawar said today.
He also emphasised that he had talked of the tie-up with the Congress in the context of Maharashtra Assembly elections and not for Lok Sabha elections.
Yesterday, Pawar had pushed for an ‘‘early decision’’ by Congress and stressed that it would be ‘‘beneficial to both parties’’.
‘‘We cannot wait for months…We must sit together at the earliest and decide on seats… If they dodge the issue, we will go our own way. We have kept both options open. We are ready to go in alliance or without an alliance.’’
Pawar had also hinted yesterday that he was keen on the formation of a third front and felt the Congress had a slim chance of forming the government at the Centre.
