Ajit Pawar Sharad Pawar NCP: After two years, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar’s NCP factions have come together again for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections. Both the parties with ‘Clock’ and ‘Tutari’ symbols will now unite and contest the elections.
NCP Alliance in Maharashtra: After more than two years, the two factions of the National Congress Party (NCP) Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar have joined hands for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation elections. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said at an election rally on Sunday, ‘Ghari’ and ‘Turha’ have become one for this municipal elections. The family is back together again. Let us tell you that the election symbol of Ajit Pawar’s party is clock and the election symbol of Sharad Pawar’s party is trumpet.
How did the split happen in NCP?
NCP was founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999. It remained an important player in Maharashtra politics for two decades. Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s nephew, was a senior party leader and also served as Deputy Chief Minister several times. Reason for split: In 2023, Ajit Pawar broke away from the Sharad Pawar led party and formed an alliance with BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. Ajit said that questions were raised on Sharad Pawar holding the reins of the party despite his age. He insisted on going with the ruling coalition, while Sharad Pawar’s party was adamant on remaining in the opposition.
Party divided into two parts
Ajit said at the Nanded camp, ‘I took this step not just for power or position, but to ensure stability and progress in Maharashtra.’ In response, Sharad Pawar said, ‘I am still effective, whether I am 82 or 92.’ After the partition, NCP got divided into two parts. Ajit Pawar’s faction formed an alliance with NDA in Maharashtra and got the clock as its election symbol. At the same time, Sharad Pawar’s NCP-SP independently adopted the trumpet as its symbol.
Loss in 2024 Lok Sabha elections
Ajit Pawar later admitted that being away from his family was his mistake. Now the uncle-nephew duo has come together again. Now both the factions are making electoral coordination for the first time. This could strengthen NCP’s position in the city. There is a possibility of change in the voting pattern due to coordination between the two. This is also being considered as the political culmination of the last two years of tension between the two parties.