Nationalist Congress Party

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Nationalist Congress Party
Leader	Sharad Pawar
Founded	1999
Main Office	10, Bishambhar Das Marg, New Delhi - 110001
Alliance	United Progressive Alliance
Ideology	Populist
Publications
Website	http://www.ncp.org.in
See also	Politics of India Political parties in India Elections in India

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is an Indian political party.

It was formed on May 25, 1999, by Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma, and Tariq Anwar after they were expelled from the Indian National Congress (INC) following their differences over a person of foreign origin becoming the Prime Minister of India. P.A. Sangma, however, later quit the NCP over differences with Sharad Pawar on NCP's closing in with the INC.

Owning to its leaders' respective support bases, particularly Sharad Pawar, NCP has significant presence in the state of Maharashtra. However it has limited presence in other states.

The NCP advertises itself as a progressive, secular party that stands for "democracy, Gandhian secularism, equity, social justice, and federalism." It positions itself as a moderate, left-leaning alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the INC. The party's election symbol is an analog clock that reads 10:10.

Since 2004 NCP is a member of the United Progressive Alliance, which governs the country. The party is also a coalition partner in the state of Maharashtra in alliance with INC.

Contents 1 Sharad Pawar 2 P.A.Sangma 3 Prominent leaders 4 NCP Policies 5 See also

[edit] Sharad Pawar

Sharad Pawar is a Maratha leader. He is also the current president of the NCP and also the agriculture minister in the cabinet.

[edit] P.A.Sangma

In January 2004, Sangma quit the NCP because he felt Sharad Pawar was getting closer to the INC in spite of no change in its leadership. For a brief period Sangma's fraction tried to claim the right to the name and symbol of NCP. The Election Commission acknowledged Pawar's group as the genuine NCP. Following the decision of the Election Commission, Sangma's group merged with AITC to form the Nationalist Trinamool Congress.

[edit] Prominent leaders

Apart from Sharad Pawar, P.A.Sangma and Tariq Anwar, other notable leaders in NCP include:

Maharashtra's first NCP President was Shri Chagan Bhujbal . Currently Mr Arun Gujrathi is the president of the NCP in Maharashtra.

Other Prominent leaders include

• Mr Ajitdada Pawar
• Mr R.R Patil (Current Dy .CM)
• Mr Praful Patel (Union minister for Aviation Independent charge)
• Mrs Suryakanta Patil (Union minster of state)
• Mr Jayant Patil (State Finance minster)
• Mr Mr Padamsingh Patil
• Mr Vijaysingh Mohite Patil
• Mr Sadashivrao Mandalik
• Mr Digvijay Khanwilkar
• Mr Dilip Valse Patil
• Mr Sureshdada Jain
• Mr Ganesh Naik
• Mrs Supria Sule (Rajyasabha MP)
• Mr Shriniwas Patil
• Mr Anil Deshmukh
• Mr Datta Meghe
• Anil Shivajirao Bhosle
• Mrs Rajyalaxmi Bhosle (Mayor of Pune)
• K Karunakaran, former chief minister of Kerala

[edit] NCP Policies

• Establishment of a national agricultural policy
• Establishment of a national policy to empower women
• Review and revision to the national health policy to add a separate sub-component on women's health
• Integrated implementation of a national nutrition policy to merge and coordinate various services provided by different government departments and agencies.
• The first politcal party in India which has started a web site called [www.nationalistcongressparty.com] in 1999 by Sharad chandra Pawar .
• Citizenship law reform to stipulate that high offices in government be confined to natural-born Indian citizens "(see, Sonia Gandhi)".
• Reserving for women one-third of the seats in parliament and in state legislatures.
• Enactment of a competition law to protect against corrupt practices
• Enactment of a bio-diversity law to protect bio-diversity and intellectual property.
• Enactment of a law establishing an independent telecasting authority.

[edit] See also

• Politics of India
• List of political parties in India

[1] Official NCP website