The Hindu : Front Page : NCP-Congress joint manifesto soon: Pawar

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Tuesday, Sep 21, 2004

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Front Page

NCP-Congress joint manifesto soon: Pawar

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 20. The Nationalist Congress Party chief and Union Minister, Sharad Pawar, today said his party would release a joint election manifesto with the Congress in Maharashtra soon. "Both the parties have appointed a small group to work on the common manifesto and we will release it in Mumbai."

Mr. Pawar said he was "satisfied" with the seat-sharing arrangement with the Congress. "If we have to take all [people] together in an alliance, there have to be some sacrifices."

The Congress gets 159 seats and the NCP 129 under the agreement.

`Comfortable win'

Predicting a "comfortable win" for the Congress-NCP alliance, he said, as a party with the majority, it would be the prerogative of the Congress to propose the name of Chief Minister.

Asked about the chances of the incumbent, Sushil Kumar Shinde, he said: "I have seen the ratings by many television channels — it was quite high."

To a query whether there was any need for a "grand alliance" of the Congress-NCP with the CPI, CPM, RPI, RJD and the Lok Janshakti, he pointed out that since the secular forces were ruling at the Centre it would not be proper for them to remain separate in the State.

About the issue of Vidarbha being mentioned in the manifesto, he said: "We've suggested it but if there is no agreement, we won't press for it."

He said the details about the joint campaign were yet to be worked out.

"September 25 is the last date for withdrawal. September 29 is "Ganesh visarjan" (immersion)... and till he (Ganesh) goes nobody will come for our meetings," he said in a lighter vein.

SP factor

On the Samajwadi Party (SP) contesting all the seats and Raja Bhaiyya's campaign in Mumbai, Mr. Pawar said: "There are a lot of political parties in the fray but they don't affect the base parties. As for Raja Bhaiyya, this is the occasion for people to know about him."

The Bahujan Samaj Party had "won some seats" in Maharastra last time, he pointed out.

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NCP-Congress joint manifesto soon: Pawar