NEW DELHI: One of India's most powerful ruling politicians said yesterday any new Congress government may have to rely on support from the communists or other regional parties to win a parliamentary majority after a general election.
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is head of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) that is a part of the Congress party-led ruling coalition and holds huge sway over the politics of the western Maharashtra state, home to India's financial hub Mumbai.
The former defense minister has also been mentioned as a possible compromise prime minister if there is no clear winner after the April/May election.
Congress relied on the parliamentary support of the communists for four years before they withdrew to protest a civilian nuclear deal with the United States. The government then switched last year to the regional Samajwadi Party to rule.
“We should not forget one thing, that without the support of the left it wasn't possible for us to provide stability in government for four years,” Pawar, 68, told Reuters.
“When they withdrew, immediately Samajwadi Party has come forward to support ... So we have to accept one thing — the situation might come that we have to depend on these political forces.” Pawar’s comments highlight an investor’s nightmare — a repeat of the 2004 election aftermath when left allies blocked Congress from making many economic reforms, such as privatization.
The main vote battle is between an alliance led by Congress, the United Progressive Alliance, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), an alliance led by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
