Nationalist Congress Party President and Union Agriculture Minister
Sharad Pawar today urged alliance partners to follow the norms of
coalition politics and avoid criticising each other.
''For a long time, the country and the state was governed by one
party but now it is an era of coalition politics, and the NCP will
try to maintain unity both in the state as well as at the Centre,''
Mr Pawar said after launching a membership drive of the party here.

''NCP had forsaken its claim over the Chief Ministership in
Maharashtra despite having maximum number of MLAs only to maintain
unity in the alliance. Nobody can, therefore, advise us as to how to
maintain coalition unity,'' Mr Pawar, who had parted ways from
Congress on June 10, 1999 to form the NCP, said.

Taking a dig at the Congress regarding allegations that members were
made by accepting money, Mr Pawar, without naming any party,
said, ''Such things will never happen in NCP and people should look
after their own party instead of blaming partners for their
problems.'' ''We respect the strength of the Congress and they
should also respect the NCP's strength,'' Mr Pawar added.

Coming down on the BJP and the Shiv Sena, Mr Pawar said the two
parties were more engrossed in their own interests rather than
serving the interests of the Marathi people.

The BJP always creates confusion in the minds of the people, Mr
Pawar alleged and referred to the statement of BJP president L K
Advani on Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Pakistan. ''The BJP never worked
for the development of minorities,'' he charged.

Dwelling on Mumbai and particularly the situation after the July 26
deluge, Mr Pawar said, ''Mumbai will continue to remain as one city
and the capital of Maharashtra. A discussion can take place about
its administration.'' His remarks comes in the wake of suggestions
to make Mumbai a separate Union Territory or divide the municipal
corporation for better administration