RAIGAD, 18 May 2005 — Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar dismissed any talks of an alliance with the Hindu militant group Shiv Sena.
Addressing a rally in Murud town of Raigad district, Pawar was reacting to the appeal made to him by Shiv Sena head Bal Thackeray at a recent function in Bombay. The occasion was the release of a photobiography of Thackeray’s life by his nephew Raj, where Thackeray and Pawar shared a dais after 23 years. On that occasion Thackeray had requested Pawar to ally his party NCP with Shiv Sena in order to lead Maharashtra to prosperity.
Pawar did not respond to the Shiv Sena chief’s plea on that occasion, but yesterday made it clear in the rally that though they will continue to be friends on a personal level, they, however, will remain staunch political rivals.
Pawar has publicly reacted to Thackeray’s appeal for reviving a political alliance that had its heydays in the 70s for the first time yesterday.
Commenting on the power crisis in the state, the NCP president and federal agriculture minister appreciated the Maharashtra government’s decision to halt free supply of electricity to farmers.
He said it was a wise and correct decision. “It should have been taken long ago. Free power to farmers has only resulted in reckless use of water through various sources,” Pawar said.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament Gurudas Kamat was unanimously re-elected as the president of the Bombay Regional Congress Committee (BRCC) for a second term.
As no nominations were received for the post of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress chief post, for which elections were to be held yesterday, the state Congress delegates would meet and pass a resolution requesting the Congress High Command to take a decision on the issue. The post fell vacant after the present MPCC chief Mrs. Prabha Rau did not seek re-election.
