Pawar's action not to affect UPA coalition: Cong

New Delhi, June 16: The Congress today described as "unfortunate" the NCP having supported industrialist Rahul Bajaj as an independent candidate for Rajya Sabha election from Maharashtra against the Congress candidate, and traced it to a misunderstanding caused between the NCP and Congress in the local elections due to a communication gap.

"We would not have liked the differences between the NCP and the Congress to arise,"Congress Spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.

"It is really unfortunate that a member of our coalition thought it fit to join hands with communal parties,"he said briefing media persons here.

However, Mr Singhvi said, this would not have any effect on the stability of the coalition government in Maharashtra nor at the Centre. "We only hope that NCP's tie up with BJP and Shiv Sena is an aberration and will remain a rare exception." Asked about unemployment allowance to be given by Mulayam Singh Govenment to the jobless in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Singhvi termed it as an "election gimmick". Giving unemployment allowance without increasing the productivity and the state assets would only accentuate inflation, he said.

About BJP leader Vinay Katiyar, the Congress Spokesman said what he had said about terrorists of Jammu and Kashmir was absolutely irresponsible and provocative. It deserved to be condemned. It would have led to grave consequences in a sensitive state like Jammu and Kashmir.

Asked about Cabinet decision on land allotment to political parties, he said this had been done in pursuance of a Supreme Court directive.

UNI