JD(S) breaks alliance with NCP over Pawar move

NCP chief participated in Madhyavarti Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) programme in Belagavi

NCP leader Sharad Pawar speaks at at a rally for unity of all borderr resident in Belagavi on Saturday.

The month-old alliance between the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was broken on Saturday with NCP national president Sharad Pawar participating in Madhyavarti Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) programme in Belagavi.

The JD(S) and NCP had entered into a seat-sharing agreement, and the former had announced willingness to give between five and seven seats, especially in the Bombay-Karnataka and Hyderabad-Karnataka regions, where Mr. Pawar has a following.

JD(S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy told The Hindu that the alliance was called off because of Mr. Pawar’s attending the rally organised on Saturday.

'Rally turned into election campaign meet'

At Belagavi, Mr. Pawar turned a rally “for unity among border residents” into an election campaign meeting for the MES. He sought votes for MES candidates, saying it would strengthen the case of Belagavi’s merger with Maharashtra in the Supreme Court. He had a word of advice for the MES, which is suffering from problems such as dissidence and groupism. This was indicated by the absence of Sambhaji Patil, MLA belonging to MES, at the rally.