Pawar faces discontent

MUMBAI: The Sharad Pawar-led NCP seems to be going the same way ‘personality’ based parties have gone. With two major incidents of ‘indiscipline’ being reported in a week, the Maratha strongman’s iron grip appears to be loosening.

Even before the dust raised by the expulsion of Shalinitai Patil, former revenue minister and the widow of former chief minister Vasantdada Patil, settled, another party veteran and the speaker of the legislative assembly Babasaheb Kupekar has raised a storm by attacking the leadership.

The fickle minded Shalinitai’s second inning began with the formation of the NCP. Known for her attitude, Shalinitai historically had played crucial role in unsettling a number of chief ministers. Ever willing to rebel whatever be the cause, Ms Patil has a knack of raising publicity grabbing issues.

This time she challenged the NCP’s pro-OBC stance and opened a debate on the reservation policy. She wanted economic criteria to be the overriding factor for reservations and not the cast. In rebellious mood, Shalinitai launched a campaign to raise support for her and organised a number of rallies in western Maharashtra, the NCP’s home-turf.

For a party that counts the Marathas amongst its main supporters, her stand immediately created quite a flutter in the NCP. It also won her many supporters since the Marathas traditionally have never been with the OBCs. Living up to this reputation, Maratha Mahasangh, another body that espouses the cause of Marathas, as the name suggests, extended its support to Shalinitai.

This added to Mr Pawar’s embarrassment since he, being a part of the UPA, had publicly endorsed the Manmohan Singh government’s policy on reservation. In no mood to compromise or tone down her stand, Shalinitai invited disciplinary action and Mr Pawar didn’t disappoint her.

A day after she was shown the door, another veteran, Babasaheb Kupekar’s missiles bombarded the party leadership. Being a speaker of the state legislative assembly, Mr Kupekar’s signed article also raised an issue of propriety.

In a six-page long article in the party mouthpiece Rashtravadi, otherwise soft-spoken Kupekar talks about a lack of inner party democracy within the party and lambastes second rung leader for doing very little to widen the party’s base.

He also talks about worsening law and order situation and the economy, targeting home minister RR Patil and the finance minister Jayant Patil. To be politically correct Mr Kupekar’s musings shower lavish praise on party chief Mr Pawar, the article selectively targets the party’s young generation.

According to him, the NCP-Congress alliance government has failed on all fronts and the situation demands serious introspection. Quick to react to Mr Kupekar’s criticism was Ajit Pawar, the nephew of Sharad Pawar and irrigation minister in Vilasrao Deshmukh government. Pawar Jr dismissed Mr Kupekar’s claim about the government’s performance.

The NCP spokesperson too was forced to clarify on Mr Kupekar. This has many in the party bewildered. A section of the NCP suspect Mr Pawar himself might have blessed Mr Kupekar’s tirade. “How can you otherwise explain the rationale and the timing behind the speakers’ comments in the party mouth-piece?,” a senior NCP leader asked. “The party doesn’t know what to do to contain the damage,” he said.