The Nationalist Congress Party(NCP)

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is a true inheritor of the rich and glorious political legacy handed to the Indian National Congress (INC) by early stalwarts like Dada Bhai Naorogi, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant, and by other veterans of the freedom struggle - The Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi himself, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sardar Vallabhi Patel, Aurobindo, Subhash Chandra Bose, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Smt. Sarojini Naidu, Madam Bikhaji Kama and Aruna Asaf Ali. This legacy is one of ardent nationalism and of secular ethos, the fountain-head of which is the very history of our civilization. It is also one of standing for individual freedom - social, economic and political.
Formation of the party

25th May 1999 is the Red Letter Day for the country. It was on that day Nationalist leaders Shri Sharad Pawar, Shri Tariq Anwar and hundreds of their political supporters assembled at No.6, Gurudwara Rakab Ganj Road, New Delhi and took the historic decision to form a new Political Party under the name 'Nationalist Congress Party'. Shri Sharad Pawar was elected President and
Shri Tariq Anwar, General Secretary of that party. The issue raised by Shri Sharad Pawar and Shri Tariq Anwar that no person of foreign origin shall adorn the highest seats of power like the President of India, Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Chief of Army or Election Commission of our country, though turned down by the coteries that managed the Congress (I) soon it became evidently clear that they only echoed the thinking of the people, whose ancestors with throbbing spirit of nationalism and craze for democracy and equality had sacrificed even their lives in their fight against slavery, political, social and economic. Hundreds of leaders and thousands of workers of Congress all over the country came forward to strengthen the hands of the national leaders and to take up the party organisation work.
The founding principles of the party
  • Strengthening the forces of nationalism with an emphasis on the egalitarian and secular ethos of the Indian Republic and combating fundamentalism and sectarianism.

  • Maintaining the unity and integrity of India by strengthening federalism and decentralization of power up to the village level.

  • Promoting economic growth through competition, self-reliance, individual initiative and enterprises with emphasis on equality and social justice.

  • Rule of law and constitutional order based on Parliamentary and participatory democracy.

  • Empowerment of weaker sections, the schedule castes and tribes, OBCs, the disabled and the women.

  • Strengthening the forces of peace within the country attempting to secure universal non-discriminatory disarmament

  • Institutionalized and democratic functioning of the party.
Office bearers
  • Shri Sharad Pawar - President

  • Shri Tariq Anwar - General Secretary

  • Shri Devendra Nath Dwivedi - General Secretary

  • Shri Datta Meghe - Treasurer
Performance in elections
Following eight candidates got elected to the Parliament :
  • Shri Sharad Pawar …Maharashtra

  • Smt Nivedita Sambhajirao Mane …Maharashtra

  • Shri Sriniwas Dadasaheb Patil …Maharashtra

  • Shri Ashok Namdevrao Patil …Maharashtra

  • Shri Sadasivarao Dadoba Mandlik …Maharashtra

  • Shri Laxmanrao P. Yadav Patil …Maharashtra

  • Shri Holkhomang Haokip …Manipur
The members elected from Dadra & Nagar Haveli, though contested as independent candidate is our own party man. Three other members elected from Maharashtra as candidates of our alliance parties are continuing as associated members of our Parliamentary Party.
Assembly performance
58 members were elected to the Assembly from Maharashtra and 4 members to the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly.
Participation in government
In order to prevent the Sivasena-BJP combine, which had been voted out by the people in the elections, coming back to power in Maharashtra, the NCP had to joined hands with the INC in Maharashtra to form a government there with Shri Chhagan Bhujbal as the Deputy Chief Minister. We had to bow down to local political pressure in Meghalaya and join the coalition government led by the UDP there despite the three member BJP also being a partner to the government, as it was within the interest of our partly as well as that of the state to provide a government there and avoid an election imposed upon the state by our party's stand. The party unit in Kerala was already a part of the Left Democratic Front and their government there.
National status of the party
After the assessment of the performance of various political parties in the Parliamentary Elections, the Election Commission of India conferred the National status to our party. This is the first instance in the history of our country of a new party contesting the national elections for the first time after its formation getting the status of National Party that too within a few months after its formation as in the case of NCP.

After the assessment of the performance of various political parties in the Parliamentary Elections, the Election Commission of India conferred the National status to our party. This is the first instance in the history of our country of a new party contesting the national elections for the first time after its formation getting the status of National Party that too within a few months after its formation as in the case of NCP.