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INDIA 2024 India News Politics

NCP to expand outreach with Muslims, Dalits, Marathas after poll debacle

Ajit Pawar.(photo:Facebook)

The legislators suggested that the state government needs to roll out schemes with hefty financial allocation to help the Maratha, Dalit and Muslim communities apart from allaying their fears about the change in the Constitution…reports Asian Lite News

NCP legislators at a meeting chaired by party chief Ajit Pawar on Thursday were told to step up outreach with the Muslim and Dalit communities and also increase communication with the politically influential Maratha community in the run-up to the state Assembly elections. 

The instructions came following the party’s debacle in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections.

The legislators were also asked to take the farming community into confidence on the issues relating to onion, soybean, and cotton, which impacted the poll prospects of the MahaYuti (the BJP-NCP-Sena alliance) in the general elections. The NCP won one seat while the MahaYuti bagged 17 seats against the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)’s 30.

A senior party functionary said, “The legislators shared the factors that went against NCP nominees and also against the MahaYuti candidates. The anti-incumbency against sitting MPs and also against the Central government was one of the major factors. This apart, the MahaYuti nominees were hit badly due to the narrative set by the Opposition that the Constitution will be changed if BJP voted to power for the third time. Muslims, Dalits and tribals voted against the NCP and the MahaYuti in general. The protests over Maratha and OBC reservations created a divide between the two which went against the MahaYuti. The legislators pressed the need for corrective steps to avoid further damage in the Assembly polls.”

The legislators suggested that the state government needs to roll out schemes with hefty financial allocation to help the Maratha, Dalit and Muslim communities apart from allaying their fears about the change in the Constitution.

Meanwhile, at least six MLAs were absent from the meeting. However, the party claimed that all MLAs had informed the leadership about the reasons for their absence from the meeting.

The meeting was held amid speculations that a set of MLAs planning to switch to Sharad Pawar’s NCP. The meeting lasted for more than three hours as all MLAs were asked to explain their experiences of the recently held Lok Sabha elections and plans for the upcoming Assembly elections.

MLAs who were absent from the meeting include Sunil Tingre, Rajendra Shingne, Anna Bansode, Babandada Shinde, Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal and Minister Dharmarao Atram.

According to party spokesperson Umesh Patil, Shinde and Atram were ill while Shingne and Bansode had conveyed their inability to attend the meeting due to prior commitments. Zirwal is presently in Russia on an official tour. Tingre, who chose to not come in front of the media, was discussed during the Pune hit-and-run case.

ALSO READ-Shirur: NCP factions locked in battle of prestige

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Shirur: NCP factions locked in battle of prestige

NCP(SP)’s Dr Amol Kolhe, who fought his maiden General Election on a NCP (united) ticket, had defeated three-term MP and then Shiv Sena (united) candidate Shivajirao Adhalrao, a report by Sanjay Jog

The NCP(SP) nominee and sitting MP Dr Amol Kolhe and Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction candidate and former MP Shivajirao Adhalrao, are locked in a fierce political battle in the Shirur constituency in Pune District.

Five years ago, both were pitted against each other in the 2019 elections.

Dr Kolhe, who fought his maiden General Election on a NCP (united) ticket, had defeated three-term MP and then Shiv Sena (united) candidate Adhalrao.

What has changed in the last few years between the two elections is the split in both NCP and Shiv Sena and also Adhalrao’s ‘ghar wapsi’ to the NCP after almost 19 years albeit in the faction led by the junior Pawar.

Further, there is a notable change in the poll symbols. While Dr Kolhe, had fought the last election on the ‘clock’ symbol, this time he is fighting on the ‘trumpet blowing man’ symbol.

On his part, Adhalrao, who had contested on the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol of the Shiv Sena (united), is now fighting on the ‘clock’ symbol.

The contest is being portrayed locally as the fight between a politician and an actor.

This is due to Dr Kolhe’s career as an actor in Marathi films and serials rather than as a full time politician.

On the other hand, Adhalrao is a businessman-turned-politician who remained actively involved in politics even after his defeat in the last elections.

The contest has become more interesting because Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who aggressively campaigned for Dr Kolhe’s victory in the last elections, is in the field this time seeking votes for his rival Adhalrao against whom he sought votes in the past.

Incidentally, this year’s election is quite crucial for both the NCP factions as the Sharad Pawar-led party and Ajit Pawar-led group have made it a prestige issue to tighten their grip over the constituency.

Shirur Lok Sabha constituency is one of the prestigious constituencies situated next to politically-vibrant Baramati and Madha Lok Sabha constituencies.

Historically, Shirur constituency has special importance as it includes places like Shivneri, the birthplace of Shivaji Maharaj, Vadhu-Tulapur, the burial place of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Alandi, where Dnyaneshwar Maharaj took a samadhi, Bhima Shankar, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and Rajgurunagar the birthplace of martyr Rajguru.

The presence of NCP’s four Legislators in Ambegaon, Junnar, Khed-Anandi and Hadapsar and the BJP’s presence in Bhosari has been a major positive for Adhalrao as the party’s poll machinery is in active mode.

Adhalrao is also banking on the charisma and outreach of Ajit Pawar and the presence of a cooperative network.

Ajit Pawar is holding a series of meetings in the constituency as he did in Baramati with an appeal for Adhalrao’s victory.

He has been approaching the voters saying that Adhalrao’s election will be crucial to bring central and state government funds, especially with the PM Modi-led government at the Centre and the Mahayuti government in the state.

However, Pawar senior has demolished his nephew Ajit Pawar’s theory that getting funds from the Centre would be an issue if the constituency is not represented by the ruling party and its allies.

In the case of Dr Kolhe, the party has a lone Legislator in Shirur constituency. However, Dr Kolhe is riding on party chief Sharad Pawar’s legacy and his contribution as the four-time chief minister, Union minister and MP for the transformation of the constituency.

Pawar, who is leaving no stone unturned for Dr Kolhe’s victory and is cashing in on the support of the youth as well as the farming community.

Although Dr Kolhe faces anger and displeasure in rural areas, he hopes to weather the situation banking on the sympathy for Sharad Pawar.

Also he hopes to get votes projecting his loyalty to Pawar senior especially after the split in the party.

Ajit Pawar and Adhalrao have been raking up the issue of Dr Kolhe’s absence in the constituency during his five year term due to his acting assignments. They have claimed that it has heavily impacted the development in the constituency.

On his part, Dr Kolhe is narrating his track record as the active and performing MP and also his award as Best Parliamentarian to counter criticism.

Instead of making a personal attack, Dr Kolhe is skillfully flagging up core issues like farmers’ distress, the Centre’s policies with regard to ban on onion export, lack of adequate price for agricultural produce, rising unemployment and inflation.

Moreover, the rapidly-decreasing agricultural area due to industrialisation and urbanisation has been a major issue in the constituency.

In addition, the supply of water from various irrigation reservoirs and the increasing traffic jams on Pune-Nashik and Pune-Ahmednagar are other problems that the voters of this constituency expect to be addressed on a priority basis.

Incidentally, both Dr Kolhe and Adhalrao are taking credit for the lifting of a ban on organising bullock cart racing by the Supreme Court.

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NCP(SP) vows Rs 1 lakh/year dole to poor women, jobless youth

A like amount shall be given as a stipend to the educated jobless youth, who will be provided free training and skilling in the government or private sector for a year and prepare them to take up jobs of their choice…reports Asian Lite News

The Nationalist Congress Party(SP) President Sharad Pawar here on Thursday released the party’s 2024 Election Manifesto with a slew of promises to attract the poor, women, farmers, the unemployed, the depressed sections of society and other backward groups for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Sharad Pawar, along with state President Jayant Patil and other senior functionaries disclosed the salient aspects of the Manifesto which include an aid of Rs 1 lakh per year to a woman from all the poor families in the country under the Mahalakshmi Scheme, and help make crores of women as ‘lakhpatis’.

A like amount shall be given as a stipend to the educated jobless youth, who will be provided free training and skilling in the government or private sector for a year and prepare them to take up jobs of their choice.

Similar to the INDIA bloc proposal, the NCP(SP) will also amend the laws to hike the quotas’ ceiling and provide for reservations to more categories, set up a special farmers’ commission to advise, streamline and recommend loan waivers to the peasantry, among other things, Pawar and Patil said.

The NCP(SP) also proposes to double the income of unorganised daily workers to at least Rs 400 per day, better sops for Anganwadi women workers, throwing open the government sector’s 30 lakh jobs currently lying vacant to the unemployed youth, and other assurances for various other sections of the populace if and after the INDIA bloc comes to power.

The NCP (SP) is contesting 10 of the state’s 48 LS constituencies, with many falling in the ‘tough fight’ category, along with support from the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies like Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT).

Last week, the Congress and SS(UBT) leaders indicated that if the need arises, they might issue an MVA’s joint manifesto in the coming days.

Shiv Sena, BJP slam manifesto

 Shiv Sena spokesperson Susiben Shah said the announcement of Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) in its manifesto ‘Shapathnama’ with regards to minimum support price (MSP) for farmers is to “deceive” and “allure” them.

“It is important to note that he was the Union Agricultural Minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014. During his tenure, he did nothing for the farmers. The MSP announcement in the manifesto is simply an attempt to deceive and allure the farmers,” said Shah here.

“They have also shown a dangling carrot of 50 per cent reservation for women. However, the manifesto falls short in countering in leaps taken for women empowerment under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde,” said Shah.

Offering cheap gas cylinders, and giving poor women Rs 1 lakh every year, are nothing but fake promises, she claimed.

“It is high time Sharad Pawar’s National Corrupt Party stopped cheating people and making such promises,” she said.

 The BJP claimed on Thursday that the manifesto (‘Shapathnama’) released by the NCP (SP) is the biggest fraud in the world.

In Sharad Pawar’s life, a dagger is more important than the oath, said Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule in his reaction. Due to this manifesto, the voters will not vote for the Pawar-led party, he added.

“In Maharashtra, an oath is more important than life,” he said.

“Whenever Pawar was in power, he practiced vote politics and used power to make money and again used the same money to gain power. Maharashtra never benefited due to his politics,” claimed Bawankule.

Bawankule said that Modi’s Sankalp Patra (manifesto) is for the welfare of the country. On the other hand, in the INDIA Alliance manifesto the Congress talks about the abolition of Sanatan Dharma and also on redistribution of wealth among a particular community.

Bawankuke explained the importance of oath and Sharad Pawar’s political journey. On April 26, 1645 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj took the oath of Hindvi Swarajya along with his Malvas and fulfilled his oath. In 1977, the Congress party split after the Emergency. Sharad Pawar left the Indira Gandhi led Congress and joined the Congress led by Brahmanand Reddy.

He added that in 1978, Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil’s government was ousted by stabbing him in the back. In 1980, the PDF government was formed after 40 legislators rebelled and Sharad Pawar became the chief minister

According to Bawankule, in 1988, Sharad Pawar rejoined the Congress and In 1999 Sharad Pawar fell out with the Congress and formed the NCP.

In 2019, Sharad Powar gave the word to Ajit Pawar (of joining the BJP) but later overturned it. Thereafter, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was formed in 2019.

“Really tell me, do Sharad Pawar and oath have any connection,” he asked.

The Nationalist Congress Party(SP) President Sharad Pawar here on Thursday released the party’s 2024 Election Manifesto with a slew of promises to attract the poor, women, farmers, the unemployed, the depressed sections of society and other backward groups for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

Sharad Pawar, along with state President Jayant Patil and other senior functionaries disclosed the salient aspects of the Manifesto which include an aid of Rs 1 lakh per year to a woman from all the poor families in the country under the Mahalakshmi Scheme, and help make crores of women as ‘lakhpatis’.

A like amount shall be given as a stipend to the educated jobless youth, who will be provided free training and skilling in the government or private sector for a year and prepare them to take up jobs of their choice.

Similar to the INDIA bloc proposal, the NCP(SP) will also amend the laws to hike the quotas’ ceiling and provide for reservations to more categories, set up a special farmers’ commission to advise, streamline and recommend loan waivers to the peasantry, among other things, Pawar and Patil said.

The NCP(SP) also proposes to double the income of unorganised daily workers to at least Rs 400 per day, better sops for Anganwadi women workers, throwing open the government sector’s 30 lakh jobs currently lying vacant to the unemployed youth, and other assurances for various other sections of the populace if and after the INDIA bloc comes to power.

The NCP (SP) is contesting 10 of the state’s 48 LS constituencies, with many falling in the ‘tough fight’ category, along with support from the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies like Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT).

Last week, the Congress and SS(UBT) leaders indicated that if the need arises, they might issue an MVA’s joint manifesto in the coming days.

Shiv Sena, BJP slam manifesto

 Shiv Sena spokesperson Susiben Shah said the announcement of Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) in its manifesto ‘Shapathnama’ with regards to minimum support price (MSP) for farmers is to “deceive” and “allure” them.

“It is important to note that he was the Union Agricultural Minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014. During his tenure, he did nothing for the farmers. The MSP announcement in the manifesto is simply an attempt to deceive and allure the farmers,” said Shah here.

“They have also shown a dangling carrot of 50 per cent reservation for women. However, the manifesto falls short in countering in leaps taken for women empowerment under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde,” said Shah.

Offering cheap gas cylinders, and giving poor women Rs 1 lakh every year, are nothing but fake promises, she claimed.

“It is high time Sharad Pawar’s National Corrupt Party stopped cheating people and making such promises,” she said.

 The BJP claimed on Thursday that the manifesto (‘Shapathnama’) released by the NCP (SP) is the biggest fraud in the world.

In Sharad Pawar’s life, a dagger is more important than the oath, said Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule in his reaction. Due to this manifesto, the voters will not vote for the Pawar-led party, he added.

“In Maharashtra, an oath is more important than life,” he said.

“Whenever Pawar was in power, he practiced vote politics and used power to make money and again used the same money to gain power. Maharashtra never benefited due to his politics,” claimed Bawankule.

Bawankule said that Modi’s Sankalp Patra (manifesto) is for the welfare of the country. On the other hand, in the INDIA Alliance manifesto the Congress talks about the abolition of Sanatan Dharma and also on redistribution of wealth among a particular community.

Bawankuke explained the importance of oath and Sharad Pawar’s political journey. On April 26, 1645 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj took the oath of Hindvi Swarajya along with his Malvas and fulfilled his oath. In 1977, the Congress party split after the Emergency. Sharad Pawar left the Indira Gandhi led Congress and joined the Congress led by Brahmanand Reddy.

He added that in 1978, Chief Minister Vasantdada Patil’s government was ousted by stabbing him in the back. In 1980, the PDF government was formed after 40 legislators rebelled and Sharad Pawar became the chief minister

According to Bawankule, in 1988, Sharad Pawar rejoined the Congress and In 1999 Sharad Pawar fell out with the Congress and formed the NCP.

In 2019, Sharad Powar gave the word to Ajit Pawar (of joining the BJP) but later overturned it. Thereafter, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was formed in 2019.

“Really tell me, do Sharad Pawar and oath have any connection,” he asked.

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Setback for Sharad Pawar as NCP symbol goes to Ajit faction

The poll panel has given the Nationalist Congress Party name and symbol to the faction led by Ajit Pawar in a significant decision that has a bearing on the forthcoming polls….reports Asian Lite News

In a big setback to the faction led by Sharad Pawar, the Election Commission on Tuesday settled the dispute in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in favour of the faction led by the petitioner Ajit Pawar.

The poll panel has given the Nationalist Congress Party name and symbol to the faction led by Ajit Pawar in a significant decision that has a bearing on the forthcoming polls.

The Commission has provided the Sharad Pawar faction with a one-time option to claim a name to its new political formation and provide three preferences to the Commission. The concession is to be utilised by 3 pm on February 7, 2024.

The decision was taken after more than 10 hearings spread over more than six months.

The poll panel said that the decision followed the laid-out tests of maintainability of the petition, which included tests of aims and objectives of the party constitution, test of party constitution and tests of a majority both organizational and legislative.

The hearings, which commenced on July 1 last year between factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar saw strong legal teams from both sides including Mukul Rohatgi, Neeraj Kishan Kaul and Maninder Singh for the petitioner and Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Devdatt Kamat from the respondent.

The test of majority in the legislative wing found favour in this circumstance of the case, where both groups have been found to be working outside the party constitution and the organizational elections, the poll panel said.

The occupants of the post were primarily assessed to be appointed by self-nominated members of the electoral college and against the internal party democracy.

Serious inconsistencies in terms of timelines in the claim of the Sharad Pawar group, in support of their claim of having the organizational majority, resulted in unreliability of their claim, it said.

Taking into account the significant timeline of the elections to the 6 seats of Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra which were notified through ECI press note of January 29, 2024, the Sharad Pawar faction has been given a special concession to comply with Rule 39AA of Conduct of Elections Rules 1961, which allow the authorised agents of political parties to verify as to whom an elector, who is a member of a political party has cast his vote.

Using its powers under Para 18 of the Symbols Order, the poll panel has provided the Sharad Pawar faction, the respondent, “a one-time option to claim a name to its new political formation and provide three preferences to the Commission”.

The implications of the para 15 of the symbol order, i.e. the ruling as laid down in the matter of amalgamation of Indian Congress (socialist) and Nationalist Congress Party, ECI order of Aug 4, 1999 was relied upon in the present matter pertaining to Rajya Sabha elections.

Going beyond the recommendations of political parties of need of maintaining transparency in internal affairs, the Commission expressed hope that political parties will adopt good disclosure practices of organizational elections and internal party democracy.

It advised, in its order, that perhaps time has come for political parties to consider “voluntary wider public disclosures of party constitution, amendments thereof, if any internal electoral steps such as publication of electoral college, dates of elections, time and venue of elections of different tiers, candidates, compliant redressal mechanisms within their organizations, and list of elected office bearers, etc”.

“Such disclosures on their websites shall keep the most valuable stakeholder of electoral democracy, that is the electorate at large duly informed,” the poll panel said. (ANI)

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No MVA in Goa; Shiv Sena, NCP to go without Congress

Congress Senior observer of Goa, P. Chidambaram said the people are voting either for the BJP or for a regime change…reports Asian Lite News

The hope of stitching an MVA like alliance in Goa has not taken off as Congress is unwilling to ally with the Shiv Sena and NCP. The three parties have formed Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra but in Goa the Congress is already in alliance with Goa Forward Party.

The Congress is not willing to concede more seats to the allies and sources say it thinks that the NCP and the Shiv Sena in the fray will split BJP votes.

Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena MP said, “NCP and Shiv Sena tried to form an MVA like alliance in Goa but did not get positive response from the Congress.”

The Shiv Sena leader in the past had met Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the same but things did not work out as Congress assessment is that people will vote for a change. NCP leader Praful Patel has said that his party will contest with Shiv Sena in the state.

The Congress had alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress were contesting in Goa to split the opposition vote and help the BJP.

Congress Senior observer of Goa, P. Chidambaram said the people are voting either for the BJP or for a regime change.

Chidambaram in a statement said, “My assessment that the AAP (and the TMC) will only fracture the non-BJP vote in Goa has been confirmed by Mr Arvind Kejriwal. The contest in Goa is between Congress and BJP”.

“Those who want a regime change (after 10 years of misrule) will vote for the Congress. Those who want the regime to continue will vote for the BJP. The choice before the voter in Goa is stark and clear. Do you want a regime change or not? I appeal to the voters of Goa to vote for a regime change and vote Congress,” he added.

The Congress is facing a tough battle in Goa while trying to be ahead of the BJP as the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party are spoiling the grand old party’s game in the state.

The Congress is trying to put up a strong face and has denied any alliance talks with the Trinamool despite speculations in the political circles. Jittered by the Congress stance, the Trinamool has launched an offensive against the Congress.

“The Trinamool has been saying that they are open to alliances, but Congress is not willing to accept and behaving like an emperor,” Trinamool leader Mahua Moitra said, adding: “Need of hour in Goa is to defeat BJP – no one should be on their high horse. AITC will not, repeat not, shy away from walking the last mile.”

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NCP to ally with SP for UP polls

Elaborating on Uttar Pradesh, the 81-year-old leader said that “the stage is set for a change” from the current rule by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)…reports Quaid Najmi

In a significant political development, Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar announced on Tuesday that his party would contest the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Manipur.

Stating that the party will join hands with the Samajwadi Party-led front coming up in Uttar Pradesh, Pawar said that he would attend a meeting convened next week to discuss and finalise alliances and poll strategies for the northern state, which will go to the polls in seven phases between February 10 and March 7.

“Of the five states going to the polls, we shall be contesting in three states. We plan to work out alliances with like-minded parties,” Pawar told mediapersons here.

While the NCP would be joining the SP-led alliance in Uttar Pradesh, in Manipur, the party is cobbling up an understanding with the Congress, with which it shares power in Maharashtra’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

“We are in talks with the Congress and the Trinamool Congress in Goa,” Pawar added while disclosing NCP’s programme to contest in three of the five states going to the polls in February-March, barring in Punjab and Uttarakhand.

Elaborating on Uttar Pradesh, the 81-year-old leader said that “the stage is set for a change” from the current rule by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“The masses want ‘parivartan’, and UP is all set for a change (of power). People there are not happy with the BJP’s communal style of politics. Polarisation on communal lines is being done in UP ahead of the elections, and the voters will give a befitting reply to this,” Pawar said.

Referring to the abrupt exit of Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who resigned from his office on Tuesday with sources claiming that he is likely to join the Samajwadi Party soon, Pawar said that “this is just the beginning” and the BJP will get many more such jolts in the run-up to the elections.

Hoping that the Samajwadi Party-led alliance will sweep to power in the ensuing elections, Pawar hinted that at least a dozen more MLAs from various other political parties in Uttar Pradesh are likely to walk over to Samajwadi Party soon.

In Manipur, where the NCP has four legislators, it will be a tie-up with the Congress to contest five seats, while negotiations are underway with Shiv Sena-Congress to repeat Maharashtra’s MVA experiment in Goa and ensure BJP’s defeat.

For Goa, NCP MP Praful Patel, Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Goa Congress leaders are negotiating to hammer out an alliance on the lines of MVA.

Pawar declared that he would attend a meeting convened by SP President Akhilesh Yadav to discuss the election strategy, saying that the voters will not support BJP’s plans to contest elections on communal lines.

The NCP supremo also slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s recent ’80:20′ statement (80 per cent people are with BJP, 20 per cent are against), saying that it was not befitting of him (Adityanath) to seek to divide the people on religious lines and hurting the sentiments of the minority community there.

Speaking of Punjab, Pawar surmised that the incumbent Congress will return to power, but with the recent turn of events, even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has become a contender.

On the much-talked about grand opposition alliance at the national level, Pawar reiterated that the Congress must be an integral part of any such opposition front against the BJP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NONrP09g2gY

Nevertheless, he said it is up to the Congress to decide whether to go alone or join hands with like-minded parties in the coming Assembly elections.

MVA ally in Maharashtra, the Congress is yet to react to Pawar’s assertions on the proposed NCP-SP alliance in Uttar Pradesh, alliance with Congress in Manipur, and talks with both Congress and Trinamool in Goa.

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