NCP will not give up portfolios in Maharashtra: Sangma
The Congress-NCP combine held on to power for the third time in the state when results were announced Oct 22. But the NCP (62) returned with lesser numbers than the Congress (82).
Sangma said that the NCP is willing to work with the Congress on the basis of 1999 formula, when the combine first came to power.
According to portfolio-sharing formula agreed then, the Congress was given the chief minister’s post while the NCP held the post of the deputy chief minister and some key portfolios including home, finance, power and public works.
The point of discussion would be on “number of ministers”, as the NCP has lesser number of lawmakers this time than the Congress, Sangma told reporters here.
Expressing confidence that all issues would be resolved through discussions at the highest level, Sangma said: “We are going to rule Maharashtra for the next five years.”
NCP chief Sharad Pawar has authorised union Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel to hold talks with senior Congress leaders, Sangma said.
He said NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who has been chosen for the deputy chief minister’s post in Maharashtra, wanted to play a role in the national politics.
“Bhujbal had said he had spent over 30 years in state politics and wanted to move to national politics,” Sangma said.
“The party would think of a new deputy chief minister whenever he is shifted to the national politics,” he said.
Asked about the reports that the post of deputy chief minister would be rotated among NCP leaders, Sangma said Pawar had said there would be no such thing.
No NCP-Congress alliance in North-East: Sangma
"In Assam, NCP will go with Left parties and AUDF. We will put up three candidates in Guwahati, Diphu and Mangaldai in Assam," Sangma told reporters here.
According to the leader, NCP would have an alliance with Manipur Peoples Party (MPP) in Manipur while in Meghalaya it will have coalition with regional parties and BJP.
Sangma said his party would field a candidate at Tura in Meghalaya, while in Shillong, the other LS seat in the state, it would support the nominee of the regional parties.
The NCP was also likely to put up a candidate in Itanagar East seat, he said.
In Nagaland, NCP would support the consensus candidate put up by Democratic Alliance of Nagaland. The party would not field candidates in Mizoram and Tripura.
His statement have come at a time when Congress was negotiating on seat-sharing to ensure that old allies like NCP remained with the UPA.
NCP meet on Meghalaya Candidature
 |
| PA Sangma: Placating |
Shillong, Dec 15 : The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will meet in Tura on December 18 to discuss the controversial issue of non-tribal candidates contesting the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
While non-tribals do not contest elections to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), the political parties have been putting up candidates for the Garo polls for the past few years in the three non-tribal dominated constituencies, Phulbari, Rajabala and Mahendraganj.
This time, however, the Garo Students Union (GSU) protested against the move of the political parties putting up non-tribal candidates saying that the very purpose of the formation of the district councils, which is meant to protect the tribal identity, will be diluted and defeated. The students’ body is also irked by the Congress stand in fielding two-non tribal candidates in the plain constituencies of Garo Hills.
However, NCP leader P.A. Sangma today told reporters that out of the three non-tribal dominated constituencies in Garo Hills, the party has already put up two Garo candidates in Rajabala and Mahendraganj.
“We are yet to decide on the remaining Phulbari constituency,” Sangma said.
He agreed that the main objective of formation of the district councils was to protect the interests of the three tribes of the state.
“The very fact that it is Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, means that the council is for the Garo tribe and not even for other tribes in Garo Hills like Hajong and Rabha, leave alone the non-tribals,” Sangma said.
He said according to the Constitution, a person who resided in a place for more than 12 years, has the right to vote and there is no bar for him to contest the council elections too. He, however, favoured an all-party meeting to thoroughly discuss the matter.
Former chief minister and Congress leader D.D. Lapang said there is restriction for the non-tribals to contest elections to the KHADC and the JHADC as the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution was amended in the past to prevent others to contest in these district council polls.
However, the same amendment was not carried out in the GHADC, thereby making provisions for the non-tribal candidates to contest the council election in Garo Hills.
Sangma, however, said the party would go by the wishes of a majority of the people of Garo Hills in fielding candidates to the district council in all the 29 constituencies.
He said if the NCP put up Garo candidates in all the seats for the election, then other parties, including the Congress, may also follow the same.
