Party with more MPs gets the prime minister's post, says Sharad Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar at the party's closed door conclave at YB Chavan auditorium on Monday. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Sharad Pawar, the NCP boss, seems to be all praise for Rahul Gandhi for denouncing the Congress's candidature for the prime minister's post ahead of the next general elections. Pawar told the party's closed-door conclave here on Monday that whoever got more MPs would get the PM's post. He said the primary motive of all parties that don't bond with the BJP would be to get rid of the present government.

He said even the Congress president (Gandhi) has said he was not in the race. "I'm with the parties that will work to change the BJP government," he said, adding that they must put up a strong fight together, get the numbers to get a non-BJP PM. "We would decide the PM once the numbers are there," he said. Pawar meant that any regional or national party that is powerful and does not associate with the BJP in their respective states should be supported by others.

"For example, in Tamil Nadi, the DMK is not with the BJP. That party is number one there, so other parties should support it [in alliance]," he said. He said people ask what alternative does the Opposition have to Narendra Modi. But, it's the very people who would decide the option. In 2004, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the PM. It was 'India Shining' then and yet the BJP lost because we fought together against the NDA. And, then, we came together to name Manmohan Singh as the PM," he said, adding that Singh remained there for the next 10 years.

He said at the time (2004), there was no PM candidate or any specific party (that would have won power single-handedly). "The people of this country are mature enough to elect the government of their choice," he said.

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