WATCH: NCP chief Sharad Pawar reaches party office in Mumbai amid talks of contesting Karnataka Assembly Polls

Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar reached at the party office in Mumbai on Saturday. Sharad Pawar will take a call on the number of seats on which his party will contest in the Karnataka Assembly elections, stated a report in news agency ANI.

A day after Sharad Pawar held a meeting with Congress leaders to discuss "opposition unity," his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Friday disclosed that it is considering participating in the upcoming Karnataka election next month.

The NCP intends to compete for 40-45 constituencies in the Karnataka election on May 10, specifically in areas where the BJP, Congress, and Janata Dal United (JDU) are engaged in a three-cornered contest.

Decision linked to loss of national party status

According to reports, the NCP's decision to contest in the Karnataka election, dealing a significant blow to the broader opposition coalition, is linked to its recent loss of national status. NCP leader Praful Patel said, "We have to take steps to regain our national party status."

The Election Commission has assigned the NCP its alarm clock symbol for use in the Karnataka elections.

It is anticipated that the NCP will collaborate with the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti in the Maharashtra-Karnataka border area, which has a significant Marathi population.

Congress performance to be impacted if NCP enters fray

The NCP's decision to participate in the Karnataka election is likely to have an impact on its ally, the Congress, which has high hopes of winning the election, especially with the ruling BJP facing allegations of corruption and anti-incumbency.

On Thursday, Sharad Pawar had an important outreach meeting with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, which was crucial at a time when Pawar's recent comments suggested a division within the opposition regarding the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation into the Adani-Hindenburg row.

However, the NCP's decision to contest an election in which it is likely to take away Congress's votes may not be well received by its ally.

NCP, TMC, CPI lose 'national party' status

Earlier this week, the NCP lost its "national party" status, as well as its "state party" status in Goa, Manipur, and Meghalaya. A "national party" designation provides an organization with a common poll symbol across the country, more star campaigners, free airtime on national broadcasters for election campaigns, and, by tradition, office space in Delhi.

The Trinamool Congress and the CPI also lost their "national party" status, but the Election Commission has stated that these parties may regain their status based on their performance in future elections, including the Lok Sabha election next year.