Points of Discord
NCP has a long list of grouses with Congress
1 NCP wants UPA 2 to have a coordination committee. It feels Congress takes
decisions and presents these to the allies as fait accompli. NDA has both a chairperson and convener. UPA only has the Congress president as chairperson. Congress has agreed to a committee with Sonia heading it.
2 It was Congress’s prerogative not to make Sharad Pawar No. 2 but it was
inappropriate to humiliate him by briefing the media that as the leader of a small party, Pawar should not expect that position. He is, however, the most senior Cabinet minister after Pranab Mukherjee’s exit.
3 NCP wants better coordination within the Congress- NCP government in
Maharashtra. The coordination committee has not met for nearly three years. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has called a meeting in end- July.
4 NCP wants Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to not target its
ministers. On May 4, Chavan announced a white paper on the state’s expenditure by the irrigation department over the last decade. NCP’s Ajit Pawar was the irrigation minister from 1999 to 2010.
5 NCP as well as other UPA allies have no role in appointments. In eight years,
the Government has appointed 24 Rajya Sabha members and 50 governors. Even the post of deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha was decided without consulting them. Congress has agreed to consult allies.