NEW DELHI: Sharad Pawar, who tried in vain to emerge as the UPA convener, a la George Fernandes in NDA, has now succeeded in forming an informal ginger group in the UPA to increase his political clout at the Centre.
With the Congress consistently out-maneuvering him in Maharashtra and Central politics, Pawar started befriending non-Congress, non-Left smaller parties like the Telengana Rashtra Samiti, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the People's Democratic Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Lok Janashakti Party and the Sikkim Democratic Party to bolster his strength.
With NCP, these parties form a block of 50 MPs in Parliament. Sources said Pawar sold the idea of a UPA convener through the smaller parties to the Congress brass, but the latter did not respond to the collective pressure.
Of late, the Congress is keeping Pawar in good humour for his utility in problem solving. When TRS chief and Union Labour Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao recently threatened to quit the UPA, Pawar persuaded him to stay back. The NCP has extended full support to the TRS demand for a separate Telangana state.
After Congress brass failed to affect a truce between RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav and LJP president Ramvilas Paswan despite a series of meetings senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh had with the Bihar strongmen, the party enlisted the support of Pawar.
Sources said Pawar spoke to Paswan a few days ago and told him to fight the polls under the UPA banner. He also advised him not to insist on a Muslim chief minister. Pawar also prevailed upon Laloo Prasad Yadav not to project Rabri Devi as chief minister.
The Maratha strongman's efforts seem to have paid off as the RJD chief for the first time agreed that nobody will be projected as Bihar CM.
