India: NCP will not leave UPA but will skip functions

The Nationalist Congress Party on Monday said it continues to be an integral part of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) but will not participate in any government function till it takes a final decision on future of their alliance.

"We continue to be an integral part of UPA and our relationship with UPA will continue till 2014. We are supporting UPA as a core ally and will continue to support this government till the very end," NCP leader Praful Patel told reporters after the party meeting.

Patel, however, said that no final decision has been taken on the future of the NCP-UPA alliance. "We feel that before we take a final decision, they (NCP legislators from Maharashtra) must be taken on board and most likely tomorrow (Tuesday) and no later than day after (Wednesday), this matter will be put to rest," he said.

According to NCP sources, party chief Sharad Pawar will not be attending the dinner being hosted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on July 24 in honour of outgoing President Pratibha Patil.

Last weekend, the NCP made it quite plain that it was "unhappy" with the Congress at the national as well as the state level. The NCP's grouse is that it was "not consulted" on important decisions at the central and state level and there was lack of coordination between the party and the Congress.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Monday downplayed the rift with ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), saying such situations do arise in an alliance but can be solved through talks. "Such situations keep arising in coalition politics and they can be resolved through dialogue," party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters in Delhi. "Let's hope for the best," he added.

- Asian Tribune -