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GENERAL SECRETARY'S REPORT

Origin of the Nationalist Congress Party:

The day when Shri Sharad Pawar, Shri P. A. Sangma and Shri Tariq Anwar took initiative in the Working Committee of the Congress (I) questioning the dynastic and authoritarian style of functioning of the party president and the immature handling of the political situation created by the withdrawal of support to the BJP Govt. by Jayalalitha. Little did the self-seeking leaders of Congress (1) at that time think that the mass base of the Congress (I) will be eroded so soon and at such great speed as was seen thereafter. Thousands of Congress workers who were feeling the burden of the yoke of dynastic authoritarianism and the suffocation caused by the lack of internal democracy took this opportunity to throw that yoke away and rally round Shri Sharad Pawar and his colleagues to build up a nationalist, democratic and progressive political organisation becoming a viable national alternative to both the communal fascist BJP and the dynastic authoritarian Congress(l)

Formation of the Party:

25th May 1999 is the Red Letter Day for the country. It was on that day that the Nationalist leaders Shri Sharad Pawar, Shri P. A. Sangma and Shri Tariq Anwar with 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 P. A. Sangma and Shri Tariq Anwar, General Secretaries of that party.

The issue raised by Shri Sharad Pawar, Shri Sangma and Shri Tariq Anwar that no person of foreign origin shall adorn the highest seats of power like the President of India, Vice President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice, Chief of the Armed Forces and the Election Commission of our country, was turned down by the coteries that managed the Congress (I), but soon it became evident that they only echoed the thinking of the majority of Indian people, whose ancestors with throbbing spirit of nationalism and craving for democracy and equality had sacrificed their lives in their fight against the political, social and economic slavery. Hundreds of leaders and thousands of workers of Congress all over the country came forward to strengthen the hands of the nationalist leaders and voiced their sympathy and support to them.

The founding principles of the Party as pronounced at that point of time were the following :

(1) Strengthening the forces of nationalism with an emphasis on the egalitarian and secular ethos of the Indian Republic and combating fundamentalism and sectarianism.

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

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

(4) Rule of law and constitutional Order based on Parliamentary and participatroy democracy.

(5) Empowerment of weaker sections, the schedule castes and tribes, OBCs, the disabled and the women.

(6) Strengthening the forces of peace within the country attempting to secure universal non-discriminatory disarmament/and

(7) Institutionalized and democratic functioning of the party.


All these made the party dearer not only to the common man but also to the intellectuals, professionals, youths, and the weaker sections of the society.

On June 6, 1999, the office bearers of the party was announced consisting of the following persons :

1. Shri Sharad Pawar : President
2. Shri P. A. Sangma : General Secretary
3. Shri Tariq Anwar : General Secretary
4. Shri Devendra Hath Dwivedi : General Secretary
5. Shri Datta Meghe : Treasurer

Thereafter, Shri S. R. Kohli and Shri Aboo Zafar Paiwi were appointed honorary Permanent Secretary and Office Superintendent respectively.


The Indian Congress (Socialist) at their Plenary Session held on 6th June 1999 at Mavalankar Hall, New Delhi under the Presidentship of Shri Sarat Chandra Sinha, former Chief Minister of Assam, unanimously adopted a resolution to amalgamate that party with the Nationalist Congress Party upon which Shri Sharad Pawar, Shri P. A. Sangma and Shri Tariq Anwar attended their session and welcomed them into the Nationalist Congress Party.

On June 10,1999 Foundation Day: The official launching of the party was declared at the foundation convention of the party held at Mumbai on 10th June 1999 in the presence of tens of thousands of party workers at Shanmukhananda Hall, Mumbai and announced at the public meeting where more than 5 lacs of people assembled at Shivaji Park, Mumbai.

Amalgamation : The working committee of the party in a resolution passed at its meetins held on 26th June 1999 in New Delhi, authorised the President Shri Sharad Pawar to take all necessary measures and to complete all formalities of amalgamation of Indian Congress (Socialist) with Nationalist Congress Party.

Registration of the Party : The Nationalist Congress Party became a registered political party when the Election commission of India accorded registration to the party as a political party on 5th June 1999 under section 29A of the Representation of Peoples' Act.

Recognition for Nationalist Congress Party as a state party in Andaman & Nicobar Islands: With the Nationalist Congress Party, the NCP got recognised as a state recognised party in Andaman & Nicobar Islands :

Consequent upon the amalgamation of Indian Congress (Socialist) a recognised state Party in the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands instead of allotting the symbol 'Charkha', which NCP was entitled for, the Election Commission of India asked the party to submit a list of three symbols in order of preference and finally the symbol 'Clock' was allotted as party's symbol for the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

After the approval of the amalgamation of Indian Congress (Socialist) with NCP by the election Commission of india, party President Shri Sharad Pawar announced Shri T. P. Peethambaran Master, Ex-MLA, who was the General Secretary of the Indian Congress (Socialist) as General Secretary of NCP and the new panel of office-bearers of the party was announced as under:

Shri Sharad Pawar - President
Shri P. A. Sangma - General Secretary
Shri Tariq Anwar - General Secretary
Shri Devendra Nath Dwivedi - General Secretary
Shri T. P. Peethambaran Master - General Secretary
Shri Datta Meghe - Treasurer

Party President also announced the NCP Working Committee consisting of the following members :

1. Shri Sharad Pawar
2. Shri P. A. Sangma
3. Shri Tariq Anwar
4. Shri Devendra Nath Dwivedi
5. Shri T. P. Peethambaran Master
6. Shri Datta Meghe
7. Shri Sarat Chandra Sinha
8. Shri Praful Patel
9. Haji Salamat Ullah
10. Smt. Veena Nayyar
11. Shri K. Prabhakar Reddy
12. Shri Jagdeep Dhanker
13. Shri SudhakarNaik
14. Shri Baleshwar Ram
15 Shri K. V. Keditsu
16. Shri A. C. Shanmukha Das
17.Chaudhary Ved Pal

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