Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi, Jan 22: With the next Lok Sabha elections just round the corner, cracks have started to appear in the UPA over who would be the next PM. The immediate trigger to the emerging point of friction was the assertion by the NCP that their boss Sharad Pawar was fit to be the next Prime Minister.
NCP general secretary D.P. Tripathy had yesterday said: “As a member of the NCP, I would like to see him as Prime Minister of India. Pawar is qualified to become Prime Minister, but many things depend on political situations.”
He stressed that Pawar has “great ability’ to become a PM.
However, the Congress spokesperson Shakil Ahmed in a bid to douse the fire said that there should not be any conflict regarding the PM post and a decision in this regard can be taken after the elections.
According to media reports, NCP could take a final decision in this regard in a three-day meet starting from today in Mumbai. The party will also chalk out poll strategy for the upcoming general elections.
Meanwhile, NCP on Wednesday announced that it will contest 45-50 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
The party plans to field candidates across the country, including in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar and Goa, Tripathy had said after the party’s working committee meeting here yesterday.
The presidents of the state NCP units also attended the meeting.
The NCP leadership will meet February 6 to decide on candidates and the final list would be declared by February-end, he said.
In 2004, the NCP and the Congress fought the Lok Sabha elections together in Maharashtra. The NCP had contested from 22 constituencies and the Congress from 26.
