The results of the Bihar Assembly elections have forced Opposition parties in Maharashtra — Congress and NCP — to reconsider its strategy for the upcoming polls in the state. Taking a cue from it, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has asked its leaders to go soft on Congress in the upcoming elections. The directives from Mr Pawar came in a meeting held with senior leaders.
NCP general secretary D.P. Tripathi even made an analysis on the victory of grand alliance — Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress in Bihar — in front of the senior leaders during the meet to convey the importance of such an alliance against the ruling BJP.
Mr Pawar held a meeting with senior leaders of the party at Yashwantrao Chavan Centre on Monday. According to sources, Mr Pawar has clearly instructed them to go soft on Congress in contrast to its earlier strategy. “Mr Pawar said that the party should try to make an alliance with Congress in all the upcoming polls without bargaining hard as it is the need of the hour,” said a senior leader, requesting anonymity.
The party has already decided to have an alliance with Congress for the coming bypolls for eight seats of the Legislative Council. Leaders from both the parties had a first round of meeting and very soon they will have a second round of meeting.
Sources said that the party leadership might have come to the conclusion that having an alliance with Congress in all the upcoming polls is the best way to counter BJP in the present scenario. “Mr Tripathi discussed in detail about the positive effects of the grand alliance in Bihar that led to the defeat of the BJP, who was ruling the state in alliance with Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) just two years ago,” he remarked.
While speaking with this newspaper, NCP state president Sunil Tatkare maintained that the party had always tried to make alliance with like-minded parties. “Wherever Congress was keen to join hands, we both have come together. A post-poll alliance at the Kolhapur Municipal Corporation is the recent instance where we now have our mayor and deputy mayor,” said Mr Tatkare.
He admitted that discussion on the current political scenario in the wake of Bihar Assembly elections was one of the agendas of the meeting.
