Teaming with Sena-BJP on Bajaj, NCP says Cong flouting coalition dharma

This is the first time since the UPA came to power that a leading constituent has chosen to break bread with the ‘‘communal’’ enemy while continuing to be a coalition partner of the Congress in Maharashtra, Goa and the Centre.

And it comes a day after BSP chief Mayawati, no mean political strategist herself, has formally expressed the view that mid-term elections could be on the anvil. Speaking to reporters in Lucknow yesterday, Mayawati said the UPA government could collapse over the the Office of Profit Bill in case it fails to protect Left MPs.

Although the Left has dismissed such a possibility, the unprecedented action of the President in returning the Bill and the only too visible differences within the Congress over the reservation issue are all indicative of a sense of uncertainty that has gripped the Centre.

While the Congress sought to underplay the larger implications of the NCP move, the CPM—which is expected to come up with a harsh critique of the ruling coalition’s policies at its Central Committee meeting in Hyderabad this weekend—has sharply attacked it. The Maharashtra unit of the party issued a formal statement criticising the NCP decision while a senior CPM leader told The Indian Express, ‘‘The NCP has been having problems with the Congress in the state. But whatever the problems, to coordinate with the BJP-Shiv Sena is a totally wrong step.’’

The Congress, on the other hand, tried to attribute it solely to strains in Maharashtra. Although coalition partners, the two parties have been at loggerheads in the state with each eying the other’s base—especially since the BJP-Shiv Sena opposition has been in a state of disarray. The defeat of an NCP candidate because of Congress machinations in the recently concluded Legislative Council elections was the ‘‘last straw’’ that impelled the party leadership to back out of an earlier understanding with the Congress on the RS seat.

AICC spokesman Abhishek Singhvi, sounding almost contrite, confessed today that the RS fiasco was because of ‘‘an unfortunate misunderstanding and communication gap at the local level’’ during the legislative council polls.

But the NCP—its top leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel are both abroad—made it clear there was more to it than just the Maharashtra angle. Speaking to The Indian Express, NCP general secretary D P Tripathi stressed that this was not the first time that the NCP had backed an ‘‘independent’’ candidate alongwith the BJP and Shiv Sena.

In an earlier instance, the NCP had fielded P C Alexander for an RS seat and he had received the support of the BJP and Shiv Sena as well. However, on that occasion the Congress had not opposed Alexander—and this time too they should support Rahul Bajaj, Tripathi said.

But even while insisting that the NCP was not changing its attitude towards the BJP-Sena, Tripathi admitted to growing strains within the UPA coalition. ‘‘All these patterns (of discord) are emerging because the Congress is not following the principles of running a coalition,’’ he said.

Elaborating, the NCP leader said,‘‘Coalition is about proportionate power sharing, of studiously avoiding the collision route. But the Congress thinks it is running a single party government. Look at the appointments of ambassadors, governors, nominated members to the Rajya Sabha—they are all the choice of one party. There is no proper consultation or discussion on domestic or foreign policy.’’

While the NCP is not about to do a Kumaraswamy in Maharashtra just yet, the party’s decision to openly go against the Congress and join hands with the BJP is the first signal that ‘‘secularism’’ may not serve as the glue to keep the UPA together for a full term if differences over policies and power-sharing continue to persist.

–manini.chatterjee@expressindia.com