Loss of national status: Sharad Pawar’s clout, its Maharashtra base constant, NCP won’t fret much

In Maharashtra, the party has never fallen below 16% vote share in Assembly polls; derecognition of national tag follows its decline in Goa, Meghalaya, Manipur

NCP chief Sharad Pawar. (File)

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THE loss of national status is not going to hurt the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which remains largely a Maharashtra-centric outfit. Besides, when it comes to national clout, Sharad Pawar stands above and beyond, independent of his party’s influence.

Formed in 1999, the NCP had earned national tag within a year, after making its presence felt in Goa, Meghalaya and Manipur, besides Maharashtra. The shrinking now follows the NCP’s slide in all three.

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Between 1999 and 2019, the NCP’s performance in the Lok Sabha elections too has declined, from 2.27% of the votes in 1999 to 0.93% in the last Lok Sabha elections.

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Currently, the NCP has five Lok Sabha MPs, all from Maharashtra, and four Rajya Sabha MPs. It has 54 MLAs in Maharashtra, two in Kerala, and one in Gujarat. The party’s total membership stands at more than 20 lakh.

As per the Election Commission order, a national party must have won at least 6% votes in four or more states in the last Lok Sabha or Assembly elections; or have at least 2% of the seats in the Lok Sabha, with MPs having been elected from at least three states.

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While the NCP leadership said they would study the Election Commission order, a senior party leader admitted it was “not a good feeling”. However, the leader added: “It gives us reasons to work harder to regain our lost ground in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.”

In Maharashtra, the NCP’s bedrock, with or without allies, the party’s electoral base has largely remained constant. In its first Assembly polls in 1999, the party won 58 seats with 22.60% vote share; in 2004, the NCP’s share was 71 seats and 18.75% votes; in 2009, it got 62 seats and 16.37% votes; in 2014, 41 seats and 17.24% votes; and in 2019, 54 seats and 16.71% votes.

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Also Read | NCP loses national party status but its bastion Maharashtra remains safe, Sharad Pawar’s stature unquestionable

Meanwhile, Pawar’s role in forging alliances for power meant that in power, the NCP cornered cream portfolios such as Home, Finance, Energy, Rural Development and Water Resources.

In neighbouring Goa, the NCP opened its innings with 1 seat, polling 5.8% votes in 2002, and increased its tally in 2007 to 3, while retaining its vote base at above 5%. Since then, the NCP has been declining. In 2012, it could not win any seats in the state, and got 4.08% votes; in 2017, it won 1 seat but its votes halved to 2.3%, while in 2022, it again got 0 seats and even fewer votes, at 1.1%.

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In Meghalaya, the NCP’s face was its stalwart leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma. It contested its first Assembly elections there in 2003, winning 14 seats and 19.40% of the votes. In 2008, it retained its seats and increased vote share to 20.38%. But after 2013, when Sangma split to launch his own party, the NCP dwindled.

Ahead of the recent polls in the state, the lone NCP MLA, Salen Sangma, joined the Congress.

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In Manipur, the NCP’s story has been similar. In 2000, it won 5 seats and 7.87% of the votes; in 2007, 5 seats with 8.58% votes; in 2012, 1 seat and 7.2% votes. Thereafter, it fought in alliance.