12-21-2005, 10:19 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Cong allies set to revolt </b>
Pioneer.com
Sanjay K Jha/ New Delhi
After Bihar, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is doomed to project a disintegrated face in Assam. A third front involving UPA allies appears all set to emerge against the Congress in the Assembly election due early next year.
<b>This indication was given by Mr PA Sangma, who formally joined the NCP on Tuesday, when he said his party was negotiating with the CPI, CPI-M, Prafulla Mahanta faction of the AGP and the United Democratic Front (UDF), an umbrella organisation of 14 Muslim outfits in the State. If Mr Sangma manages to sew up this front, the Congress will face an uphill task in retaining power in the biggest northeastern State.</b>
Arguing that the people of Assam were "fed up with the Congress Government," Mr Sangma predicted a hung assembly in the State, hinting at his front's vital role in the government formation process. To a question if the NCP was ruling out any pre-poll understanding with the Congress in Assam, party chief Sharad Pawar intervened to say, "it is too early to say anything. We are not ruling out anything."
But the composition of the third front that is yet to come into being bears a clear message of anti-Cong-ressism. That Mr Prafulla Mahanta will not like to come to an accommodation with the Congress before the election is not open to dispute and the UDF was born out of Muslims' frustration with the Tarun Gogoi Government. Mr Sangma, who on Tuesday averred that the anti-Sonia chapter was closed for good, hasn't abandoned his anti-Congress politicking at all as is manifest in the NCP being the main Opposition party in Congress-ruled Meghalaya.
Asked how could the NCP follow different routes in different States as it was a partner of the Congress at the national level and in Maharashtra, Goa, Arunachal and Bihar, Mr Sangma, sitting beside his boss Pawar, argued, "it is not practical to have a universal approach in politics. You have to see every case on merit. In Meghalaya, the next Assembly election will be fought mainly between the Congress and the NCP."
Mr Sangma, who formally resigned as Lok Sabha member to escape the anti-Defection Law before formally joining the NCP on Tuesday, said he had nothing against Ms Sonia Gandhi now as she had herself refused to become the Prime Minister.
He showed his reluctance to answer questions relating to his recent past, including his unpleasant exit from the NCP and his stint in the Trinamool Congress, and pleaded with the media to focus on future. He said he was already working under the leadership of Ms Sonia Gandhi as she was the chairperson of the UPA.
Mr Pawar also said Mr Sangma quit the NCP due to "some differences" but he was happy to have him back. He declared that Mr Sangma would be the NCP's candidate for Tura by-election as and when it takes place. Mr Pawar said he was not keen to force Mr Sangma to resign his seat as he was already working for the NCP but the leader from the North-East himself wanted to remove that technical hitch.
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Pioneer.com
Sanjay K Jha/ New Delhi
After Bihar, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is doomed to project a disintegrated face in Assam. A third front involving UPA allies appears all set to emerge against the Congress in the Assembly election due early next year.
<b>This indication was given by Mr PA Sangma, who formally joined the NCP on Tuesday, when he said his party was negotiating with the CPI, CPI-M, Prafulla Mahanta faction of the AGP and the United Democratic Front (UDF), an umbrella organisation of 14 Muslim outfits in the State. If Mr Sangma manages to sew up this front, the Congress will face an uphill task in retaining power in the biggest northeastern State.</b>
Arguing that the people of Assam were "fed up with the Congress Government," Mr Sangma predicted a hung assembly in the State, hinting at his front's vital role in the government formation process. To a question if the NCP was ruling out any pre-poll understanding with the Congress in Assam, party chief Sharad Pawar intervened to say, "it is too early to say anything. We are not ruling out anything."
But the composition of the third front that is yet to come into being bears a clear message of anti-Cong-ressism. That Mr Prafulla Mahanta will not like to come to an accommodation with the Congress before the election is not open to dispute and the UDF was born out of Muslims' frustration with the Tarun Gogoi Government. Mr Sangma, who on Tuesday averred that the anti-Sonia chapter was closed for good, hasn't abandoned his anti-Congress politicking at all as is manifest in the NCP being the main Opposition party in Congress-ruled Meghalaya.
Asked how could the NCP follow different routes in different States as it was a partner of the Congress at the national level and in Maharashtra, Goa, Arunachal and Bihar, Mr Sangma, sitting beside his boss Pawar, argued, "it is not practical to have a universal approach in politics. You have to see every case on merit. In Meghalaya, the next Assembly election will be fought mainly between the Congress and the NCP."
Mr Sangma, who formally resigned as Lok Sabha member to escape the anti-Defection Law before formally joining the NCP on Tuesday, said he had nothing against Ms Sonia Gandhi now as she had herself refused to become the Prime Minister.
He showed his reluctance to answer questions relating to his recent past, including his unpleasant exit from the NCP and his stint in the Trinamool Congress, and pleaded with the media to focus on future. He said he was already working under the leadership of Ms Sonia Gandhi as she was the chairperson of the UPA.
Mr Pawar also said Mr Sangma quit the NCP due to "some differences" but he was happy to have him back. He declared that Mr Sangma would be the NCP's candidate for Tura by-election as and when it takes place. Mr Pawar said he was not keen to force Mr Sangma to resign his seat as he was already working for the NCP but the leader from the North-East himself wanted to remove that technical hitch.
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