After tasting humiliating defeat in the 2014 Assembly elections, which they had fought solo, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are now making efforts to forge an alliance, not only between them but by bringing together all like-minded parties, to jointly take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra.
The drubbing in successive local body elections are said to have driven the two into thinking that together they will be able to mobilise voters against the BJP on farmer suicides, job cuts and fall in economic growth after demonetization and the rollout of GST, besides corruption cases involving several BJP ministers.
Both parties are expected to launch formal talks on alliance formation ahead of the assembly polls slated for 2019. The indication of an alliance comes at a time when the relationship between the BJP and its ruling ally Shiv Sena is turning sour and both parties indicating time and again about contesting Assembly elections separately.
Early this week, NCP chief and former union minister Sharad Pawar categorically said his party was open to forming an alliance with the Congress, especially when there is growing discontent against the BJP-led government in the state and at the Centre. He also declared that if the Shiv Sena decided to walk out of the government, the NCP would not support either party.
Pawar also said his party had no understanding with the BJP.
Pawar's views were echoed by Sena's state unit president Sunil Tatkare who said there was no point in discussing what happened in the 2014 polls; but it was an opportune time to form a pre-poll alliance with the Congress and like-minded parties.
On the other hand, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan said the party high command would make the final decision on the alliance with the NCP. "Congress, NCP and other opposition parties had come together on the issue of loan waiver and had taken out a Sangharsh Yatra, forcing the Maharashtra government to announce a waiver. Parties simply kept their differences aside and joined hands against the BJP. So, an alliance is possible as the BJP-led government seems to be losing its sheen,'' he noted.
Chavan said public sentiment was building against the BJP. "Farmers are totally disappointed, while there is growing disenchantment among the urban middle class and traders. In such a situation, the Congress and the NCP can join hands for the BJP's defeat in Maharashtra,'' he noted.
The partnership
- Both parties expected to launch formal talks soon, ahead of 2019 Assembly polls
- Earlier this week, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said party was open to forming an alliance with Congress
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