Nagaland: In a major setback for NCP chief Sharad Pawar, all seven MLAs of his faction in Nagaland on Thursday extended their support to Ajit Pawar.
The seven NCP MLAs from the northeastern state declared their support for Ajit Pawar, stating that all NCP members in the Nagaland office would also back him.
Earlier this month, Ajit Pawar, along with eight other NCP MLAs, aligned with the Maharashtra Shiv Sena and BJP alliance government, under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s leadership. This move led to a division within the NCP, a party established by Sharad Pawar.
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Ajit Pawar’s strategic maneuver bears similarities to Mr. Shinde’s departure from the Shiv Sena during Uddhav Thackeray’s tenure as Chief Minister. Eventually, Mr. Shinde took control of the Shiv Sena.
In 2019, the Shiv Sena terminated its alliance with the BJP and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, in coalition with the Congress and NCP.
The government faced collapse last year when Mr. Shinde split from the party to join forces with the BJP in forming a new government.
Asserting his leadership of the “real NCP,” Ajit Pawar has drawn the support of senior party leaders like Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dilip Walse Patil.
However, Sharad Pawar has strongly asserted his leadership claim as the authentic NCP leader, leading to the expulsion of several senior party members for engaging in “anti-party” activities.
