From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday indicated forward movement in removing irritants in ties with the NCP which has threatened to pull out from the government soon if the issues raised by it were not resolved.
“We have always considered the NCP to be an important component of the UPA. They are also our allies in Maharashtra. In coalition politics, certain differences of opinion arise, but they are solved through dialogue and mutual understanding,” Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters.
Another senior leader, who declined to be identified, said that there was forward movement in talks with the NCP.
NCP, meanwhile, on Tuesday tried to put an end surrounding Ms Agatha Sangma, who reportedly tendered her resignation from the Union cabinet to the party president Sharad Pawar.
The party also dismissed reports that she would be replaced by Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, an MP from Maharashtra.
But Union Minister of state for Rural Development stayed away from her office for the second day on Tuesday as part of NCP’s strategy to put pressure on Congress both at the Centre as well as in Maharashtra. The NCP leader also vehemently denied that the current face off is over dropping Agatha and taking Supriya in her place.
Some unconfirmed reports, however, said that NCP wanted to drop Agatha but refused to give it in writing.
Upping the ante, sulking NCP earlier in the day warned the Congress that if its demands like coordination committee for UPA coalition and better treatment of allies were not resolved by Wednesday it would pull out from the government. Pawar has also indicated that any pull out in Delhi could have a cascading effect on the coalition in Maharashtra as the state leaders favour exiting the Congress-led ministry. (With inputs from PTI)
