Sudhakarrao Naik `boycotts' NCP meet

Sudhakarrao Naik `boycotts' NCP meet
PRAFULLA MARPAKWAR

MUMBAI, APRIL 28: Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former chief minister Sudhakarrao Naik today `boycotted' the crucial meeting of the party convened by president Sharad Pawar saying he was indisposed.

``I had decided to participate in the meeting, particularly to explain my decision to quit the Water Conservation Council, but owing to ill-health, I was unable to attend the convention. I have already informed Pawar that I am unwell and will not be able to attend the meeting,'' Naik told The Indian Express.

However, according to a senior NCP leader, Naik chose to keep away from the convention owing to differences with a section of senior party leaders. Secondly, though he was appointed head of the Water Conservation Council with cabinet rank, the designation was ornamental since he was not given any importance at the administrative or government level.

In an unexpected move, Naik had on Thursday resigned from the chairmanship of the Water Conservation Council saying that since he was holding an official post, he was unable to criticise the government to speak against its ill-advised policies. Significantly, Naik had forwarded his resignation letter to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh as well as Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal at a juncture when NCP had convened a special meeting to take stock of organisational matters.

Though Naik specifically denied that he will continue in the NCP and has no plans to join any other organisation or quit politics, a senior NCP leader observed that Naik is all set to raise a banner of revolt against the Congress-led Democratic Front Government. Ever since the beginning of the process of formation of the government, Naik had specifically stated that the NCP should form the government with Shiv Sena and BJP and that under no circumstances should it have any truck with the Congress.

Meanwhile at the NCP meeting presided over by Pawar, several legislators complained to him that the Congress-led Democratic Front Government was moving very slowly and that it was least interested in tackling the problems faced by the party workers at the grassroot level. In addition, they also submitted that response of the cabinet members on their complaints was very poor.

This is for the first time since the formation of the government that Pawar got to know for himself the problems faced by party workers at the grassroot level. During the day, Pawar had individual meeting with prominent leaders and subsequently, he held district wise meetings of office-bearers.

NCP spokesman Praful Patel said it was told to the agitated legislators that in view of the resource crunch, there was delay in resolving the financial demands submitted by them. In addition, the legislators were informed that since it was a coalition government, there were bottlenecks in providing a result-oriented administration.

Praful Patel denied that there was discontent in the organisation at any level and there was absolutely no possibility of a split in the NCP. ``These are all rumours. In the days to come, the members of the fourth estate will come to know the real strength of the NCP,'' Patel said.

On the resignation of Sudhakarrao Naik, Patel said the former chief minister has already declared his views on his decision. ``Naik has explained his views. He did not attend today's meeting owing to ill-health and there was no question of his quitting the NCP under any circumstances,'' Patel said.

State NCP president Babanrao Pachpute said in the absence of a specific proposal on cabinet expansion, it will not be proper for him to comment on it. ``So far we have not received any proposal on cabinet expansion from Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh,'' Pachpute said.

On the proposed national convention of the party scheduled to be held at Nagpur on June 10, Pachpute said in view of the elections for gram panchayat on June 9 and 10, the convention is likely to be postponed to October after the monsoon season.