The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar has forged an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena, forming the ‘Mahayuti’ coalition. Despite aligning with the NDA, the NCP emphasizes that it has not abandoned its core ideology. Ajit Pawar released a manifesto, stating that the party remains committed to its principles while seeking a decisive victory under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
However, certain points in the manifesto have raised concerns within the BJP and the rival NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction. Notably, the NCP’s manifesto promises to conduct a caste census and provide minimum support prices for farmers, both issues that the BJP has faced criticism for in the past.
In an apparent effort to demonstrate its secular nature, the NCP’s manifesto also includes promises to establish the Maulana Azad National Institute for Research and Training to support higher education, industrial expertise, and employment opportunities for minorities, particularly Muslims. Additionally, it pledges to upgrade Urdu-medium schools to semi-English medium institutes.
The NCP’s focus on minority-specific agenda is seen as part of its strategy to attract voters from other parties. The party currently has Hasan Mushrif as a senior minister and has recently inducted Nawab Malik, a former cabinet colleague. It is also expected to induct another senior Muslim leader from Uttar Pradesh.
Ajit Pawar’s attempts to project his party as secular are seen as an effort to differentiate it from his uncle’s NCP and the Congress. Shiv Sena (UBT), the third partner in the MVA alliance, has also claimed to have a distinct approach to minorities compared to the BJP, gaining traction among Muslim voters due to its anti-BJP stance.
The polarization of the electorate in recent days is expected to have a significant impact on the upcoming polls. By incorporating minority-specific agenda in its manifesto, Ajit Pawar’s NCP appears to be keeping its options open and aligning itself with the BJP’s position that its alliance with the NCP (Ajit) is political, while its pact with Shinde Sena is based on shared ideology.
