Almost 20 years ago, Sharad Pawar left Congress to form the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). At that time, Pawar anticipated that most of the Congress leaders would switch to NCP over the dispute of Italy born Sonia Gandhi’s right to lead the grand old party of Indians. However, except for P A Sangma and Tariq Anwar, no other big leader jumped the ship.
Later Pawar reconciled with Sonia Gandhi and both parties were a major part of the United Progressive Alliance that was in the government for ten years (2004-14).
However, with Sonia Gandhi receding from the political scene and Rahul Gandhi’s lack of leadership, Sharad Pawar’s ambition to take over the Congress party is getting wings again. PC Chacko, the senior Congress leader who left the party recently on the charges of lack of leadership and direction in the party, is set to join the Sharad Pawar-led NCP.
“I am not here to predict anything. There can be a situation like this where Pawar could be an alternative,” said Chacko, emphasising that he had worked with Sharad Pawar for several years and now he wanted to take his advice.
Pawar has already reduced the Congress party to the fourth position from the leading position by encroaching the voter base as well as the leaders of the grand old party. Previously, Sharad Pawar made his ambitions very clear to the Congress party with claims over the chairperson of UPA when amid the falling health of Sonia Gandhi.
Anyone who has observed Sharad Pawar’s chequered political journey would tell you about his determination to occupy the Prime Minister’s chair. The advent of the Modi government and the subsequent sinking of the NCP’s fortunes were the reasons why Pawar’s dream of becoming the PM. couldn’t come true. However, there seems to be a twist in the tale as his expected coronation as the UPA Chairperson will make Pawar reconsider his dream again.
By inducting Chacko in the NCP, Pawar has made it very clear that he is ready to utilise the disarray in the Congress party. If Pawar’s plans succeed, the Group of 23 leaders, who have waged a war against the Gandhi family, might also defect to the Nationalist Congress under the leadership of Ghulam Nabi Azad. Chacko also said that he will talk to Gulam Nabi Azad and Sitaram Yechury to seek the future course of action.
“The Congress is facing its Waterloo. I had already spoken to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. There is no dearth of discussion. I tried to make them understand that the situation was deteriorating,” Chacko said.
“I don’t have any plans in the Congress,” said Chacko virtually ruling out his return to party. Chacko said he would be meeting Sharad Pawar in soon.
He said, “Whatever crisis the party is facing, it needs to be discussed. I’m also meeting Sitaram Yechury and Ghulam Nabi Azad to discuss future course of action. I need to extend my support to the LDF [in Kerala Assembly election]. I’ll decide [on joining the NCP] after meeting Pawar sahab.”
Pawar is silently writing the obituary of the Congress party, at least in current form (with Gandhis at the top of the hierarchy). In Maharashtra, he has already reduced the party from a senior partner to a junior partner, and very soon, he will bring all the senior leaders of the Congress in NCP to claim the nationwide position of the grand old party.
