In a significant political development, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar advocated unity of opposition parties for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
He also claimed that they may consider contesting the elections together under the Common Minimum Programme.
Addressing a press conference, after welcoming leaders from Haryana into the party fold, Pawar mentioned NCP was open to contesting polls as part of an opposition alliance under a common minimum programme to take on the BJP.
It is pertinent to note that this move also comes after the rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde and BJP formed a government in Maharashtra two months ago.
Moreover, 81-year-old Pawar also asked the opposition parties to keep aside differences and unite on an anti-BJP platform for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier, he had said efforts were underway at the national level to bring non-BJP parties together to create a public opinion.
At the same time, the NCP supremo had made it clear that he was not keen on taking up any responsibility due to his age.
Pawar also accused the Narendra Modi government of failing to fulfil any of the promises made by it since 2014, including ushering in "acche din". The BJP’s agenda is to keep smaller parties away from power, the NCP chief alleged.
Taking a dig at the Centre over the misuse of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Pawar said, “BJP has started a new program. On the basis of money, ED, and CBI, the government is being brought down. The same is being tried in Jharkhand just like it was done in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. We have to see how we will face this attempt of the BJP. Opposition must unite.”
Meanwhile, on the question of Ghulam Nabi Azad’s resignation from Congress, the NCP chief said it is an internal matter of Congress. Azad, who quit Congress last week and has decided to float his own political party.
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