The NCP’s decision to contest the Karnataka election is likely to strain its alliance with the Congress, as it may eat into the Congress’s votes. This comes just after NCP Chief Sharad Pawar’s meeting with Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to discuss opposition unity. However, the recent comments made by Pawar regarding the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the Adani-Hindenburg row had indicated a divide within the opposition.
The NCP has been allotted its alarm clock symbol for the Karnataka elections by the Election Commission and is planning to contest 40-45 seats in the regions where the BJP, Congress and Janata Dal United (JDU) are locked in a triangular contest. The Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India (CPI) also lost their “national party” status along with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The Election Commission has stated that these parties have the opportunity to regain their status based on their performance in future elections, including the Lok Sabha election next year. The “national party” tag allows an organization to get a common poll symbol across the country, more star campaigners, free air time on national broadcasters for election campaigns, and by convention office space in Delhi.