‘Sharad Pawar can be a candidate for the top job, all constituents of the coalition agree to his name’

I appreciate your respect for Sharad Pawar. The CPM has traditionally opposed the Congress in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura and post election has, in the past, supported from outside the Congress government of Narasimha Rao. It has maintained that it will support any secular formation post election. The NCP cannot support two opposite parties viz. Congress and BJP. In fact, by doing so not only will it create confusion among the people supporting us, but will so weaken the NCP ideologically.

• Is there any future for Congress without anyone from the Gandhi family to lead it? Don’t you feel the truck with Congress will weaken NCP, particularly in Maharashtra? Today’s voter is clever and will see through this opportunism, and this marriage of convenience will benefit the BJP more.

Ashutosh Bedekar

As an Ex-Congressman, I can only say that Congress has weakened itself by not encouraging collective leadership. However, it is their internal issue. No. I do not think that the voter in Maharashtra will see our fighting elections with the Congress as opportunism since we have consistently maintained our identity, built up our party, and done this to oppose the Shiv Sena-BJP in Maharashtra. I see no reason for the BJP to benefit. In fact, our coming together with the Congress will be a very formidable challenge to them.

• What prevents your Mr Pawar and NCP from merging with Congress party and emerge successful in the forthcoming election?

George Mathai

Mr Pawar was expelled from the Congress for opposing Mrs Gandhi to head a government. Mr Pawar or Mr Sangma never had any objections to her being the party president. Since the Congress has not clarified its stand to the contrary, there is no question of merging or going back to the Congress. ‘‘Win or loose, you have to stand up to your convictions’’.

• NCP owes its birth to Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin issue. Now it seems that Mr Pawar has no objections to it anymore. Then why not he just join the Congress party back?

Subhash Goel

Yes, NCP owes its birth to the foreign origin issue. Our proposed understanding with the Congress is not unconditional. In fact, Mrs Gandhi herself stated that the leader of the proposed coalition shall be decided by the constituents of the coalition and though each party has a right to nominate its own leader, it shall not impose it’s leader on the coalition.

• The buzz is that NCP has agreed to join Congress alliance on the terms that if the Cong-NCP alliance gets power, Sharad Pawar would be made the PM. What do you have to say about this?

Shailendra Kumar

My earlier answer gives clarity to this subject. However, it is too premature to comment on the outcome of the elections. Yes, Shri Pawar can be a candidate for the top job if there is a majority, and all constituents of the coalition agree to his name.

• If I were to vote for a Congress-led coalition, and a leader was then thrust upon me and millions like me after the election, that would be a betrayal of monumental proportions, even though our democracy allows for the the victorious party to decide its leader after the election. Why don’t you and the Congress party come out cleanly with a proper prime ministerial candidate like the NDA?

Sudeep Bhagat

It would be ideal if we can project a name for the Prime Minister to take on the NDA’s leader. However, history has shown that it is possible to counter this phenomenon by determined collective
leadership.