NCP to break alliance with Congress in Gujarat:State NCP President

Ahmedabad, 20 November 2012

Jayant Patel, President of Gujarat unit of Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) today announced his party’s decision to break their alliance with the Congress in Gujarat. Patel said that the NCP would fight the Gujarat polls alone on all 182 seats without seat adjustment with the Congress.

“We have problems with the Congress over seats like Limbayat, Bapunagar, Kutiyana and Vav. While Congress has not able to perform in these seats, we are confident of doing well with our organization in place in these areas, but the Congress is not ready to allot these seats to the NCP. I am coming back to Amdavad today evening to meet our NCP workers and discuss with them our future course of action. Though discussions are still going on with Congress leaders, at present we have taken a decision to break the alliance and contest all 182 seats on our own,” NCP leader Jayant Bosky said from Delhi.

Author’s note:

It is too early to say that the Congress-NCP honeymoon is actually over in Gujarat. Every time elections are around, Gujarat NCP leader Jayant Boskey publicly threatens to end the alliance with the Congress. It’s been observed in the past that he makes such an announcement in the media just to pressurize the Congress party for allotment of more seats to the NCP. Jayant’s relative and party boss Praful Patel enjoys very good relations with Congress leader Ahmed Patel, and every time there’s a crisis between the NCP and the Congress, Praful Patel convinces Sharad Pawar on Ahmed Patel’s behalf. It seems this time Sharad Pawar is using his Veto. It is to be noted that the Congress party has postponed its screening committee meeting in Delhi today, possibly due to the NCP issue.