The NCP or Nationalist Congress Party was founded in 1999 by Sharad Pawar after he quit the Indian National Congress (INC) along with Purno Sangma and Tariq Anwar. While the NCP started as a national party with values of ‘Gandhian secularism’ and ‘progressive and modern progress’, its biggest electoral success has been in Maharashtra, Pawar’s home state. In 2023, the Election Commission withdrew the party’s status as a ‘national party’ as the NCP could no longer meet the criteria of such a designation.
As of 2024, the party is split into two factions — one led by founder Sharad Pawar and another by his nephew Ajit Pawar. The faction led by Ajit is in power in Maharashtra along with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde). This faction today is knonw as the Nationalist Congress Party, having been granted the original party name and symbol by the Supreme Court. The other faction is called the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). Other important leaders include Jayant Patil, Supriya Sule, and Rajesh Tope.
Mr. Conjecture, did you study psychology? Why are so many people worshipping a dynasty (or shall I say dynasties across the country) and cannot think of democratic alternatives?
Dear Vikram, what you call dynastic is merely HERO worship, which is ingrained in the very depths of Hindu psychology. By giving our gods a human face, we start associating some human faces with the word ‘god’. Without realizing it consciously, and not ACTUALLY worshipping that face, but by NOT ASKING QUESTIONS from, or about that face. Otherwise, when we talk of cinema and acting, where would names like Amitabh Bachhan and Rajnikant be?
I know you are talking about the Gandhi family. Jawahar Lal and Indira Gandhi, two of that family did inspire “non questioning” type of faithfulness among the masses. The others have merely benefitted from the “hangup” of that non-questioning following. Well, Rajiv G actually rode the sympathy wave after IG’s assassination, not really the dynasty-wave. Rahul Gandhi would have, over time, peacefully walked into the sunset, but believe it or not, Modi ji’s policies and BJP’s acts have given him and many others a NEW LEASE OF POLITICAL LIFE. Now, Rahul G is not emerging as the scion of a dynasty, but as a rallying point, a nucleus of the anti-Modi, anti-BJP wave that is building up into a tsunami.
Well, I have not studied psychology as a subject. I was a student of science and math and their derived fields. But please recall, Fyodor Dostoevsky was an engineer, Somerset Maugham was a dentist — two of the finest literary giants who understood human psychology better than any trained psychologist ever would.
Just one last bit: do you think Modi ji and Amit Shah are “democratic alternatives”? Please think again.
I fully understand Tariq Anwar’s chagrin at Mr Pawar’s remark that no one suspects Mr Modi. To take just one recent example, our prime minister is, in the eyes of many including perhaps Mr Tariq Anwar himself, the prime suspect in HELPING Anil Ambani, which is NOT the same as saying that he also HELPED HIMSELF (in a tangible way) in the process. Let me explain:
1) In May 2014 Modi government came to power; in January 2015 an event was held called “Vibrant Gujarat”.
2) in that event Mukesh Ambani (MA, in brief) opened his speech with these exact words: “Most respected prime minister Narendra bhai Modi”. Syrupy. Unheard of in corporate addresses — “most respected” etc
3) my conclusion: MA was more than eager to convey his deep appreciation for PM by using the first two words. Modi ji might have felt happy at the respect shown
4) when time came up for reopening the Rafael chapter, PM asks MA (my conjecture): “you were interested in it in 2012. Hope you are, even now.”
5) MA says (again my conjecture): “not now sir, I have my plate full with JIO, why don’t you please, most respected sir, take Anil on board? He has been having trouble with other things, a big project will help him.”
6) PM says (again my conjecture): “but Anil knows nothing”. MA: “but please, most respected sir! Nothing is difficult for you!!!” PM: “ok, ok. Don’t worry. I will do something.”
And this is how, in my opinion, Anil Ambani GOT IN.
No corruption of the monetary kind is involved here, I’m sure. In that respect I too believe Mr Modi is, PERSONALLY, above reproach. (Though one cannot say the same about the people who surround him). But he is surely answerable, and only HE is answerable for thinking that, “NO BODY CAN QUESTION ME” for introducing a greenhorn in place of the experienced HAL. No body else would have the courage to do so without Mr Modi’s tacit approval. How on earth could Mr Modi think so? He doesn’t have the stature of mahatma Gandhi, does he? This is not Gujarat, and on pan-india levels Modi ji STILL HASN’T BEEN ABLE TO PROVE HIMSELF despite the claims from his party to the contrary.
Being non-corruptible and non-questionable are two very different things. Mr Sharad Pawar seems to be confused about the difference. To say that Mr Modi is “non-corruptible” is not the same as saying that he is “non-questionable”, as if he has a Carte Blanche to do whatever he pleases. In a democracy does anyone enjoy such a Carte Blanche? Who should know this better than Mr Sharad Pawar himself since he has been a democrat for long as well as India’s defense minister? Plus, this particular case has an added dimension of nation’s security. Manufacturing fighter jets for the Air Force is a more serious affair than manufacturing, say, toys and bicycles.
This is what apparently has bugged Mr Tariq Anwar — Mr Pawar’s saying that no one suspects Mr Modi. Mr Anwar is right in putting his foot down, though resigning etc may be a bit hasty.
P A Sangma made a colossal political mistake in 1999. Had he stayed on in the Congress, as a Christian tribal from the north east, he would have been richly rewarded during the UPA’s decade in power.