Sharad Pawar faces the biggest challenge of his career as the Pawar family feud plays out in open and NCP heads for a split. What does it mean for the Maharashtra and national elections in 2024?
Our Bureau
New Delhi/Mumbai
In a fast-evolving political situation that threatens its very existence, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) convened its National Working Committee meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, chaired by the party’s National President, Sharad Pawar. This happened following the recent developments in Maharashtra’s political landscape.
The working committee approved the decision taken by National President Sharad Pawar to expel Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and 9 MLAs from Maharashtra for anti-party activities. They have been absolved of all responsibilities associated with the NCP announced PC Chacko.
Consequently, the NCP MLAs who wrote to the Election Commission, staking a claim to the party and its symbol, will face rejection, as the entire party stands firmly behind NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.
The meeting was called after the recent induction of Ajit Pawar and eight others into the Shinde-Fadnavis Ministry in Maharashtra, amid rumors that all is not well within the Shinde camp. As portfolios are allotted, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is likely to face challenges from Ajit Pawar, indicating a tough road ahead for the CM.
The NCP is facing a political crisis after Ajit Pawar joined the Shinde-BJP government. Eight other NCP MLAs also took the oath with him as ministers on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Thursday appointed Narendra Rane as Mumbai’s Working President of the party. Pawar handed over the appointment letter to Rane and also congratulated him.
The working committee of the Nationalist Congress Party passed eight resolutions in the meeting. Sharad Pawar, who addressed a crucial party meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday, convened a working committee meeting in the national capital.
However, the Ajit Pawar faction has claimed that the meeting of the national executive, national working committee, national office bearers, and state party presidents of NCP called by Sharad Pawar in New Delhi on Thursday has no legal sanctity.
Ajit Pawar faction claimed that the dispute of representation real NCP is within the jurisdiction of the ECI and no one has any authority to call for any meeting till the dispute is settled by the ECI.
“The dispute on the question of who represents the real NCP is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the ECI and therefore no person within the Party has any authority to call for any meeting of the National Executive/National Working Committee/ National Office Bearers / State Party Presidents till such time the dispute is finally decided by the ECI,” said a press note released by the Ajit Pawar faction.
“The meeting of the National Executive, National Working Committee, National Office Bearers or State Party Presidents of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on July 6 has no legal sanctity whatsoever,” the statement said.
The statement said that Ajit Pawar has been elected as the National President of NCP on June 30 with the overwhelming support of the majority of elected representatives of NCP as well as the members working on different organizational posts.
“Ajit Pawar has also filed a petition before the Hon’ble Election Commission of India (ECI), stating that he represents the real NCP and therefore, the name of the party along with the symbol be granted to him,” the statement added.
In another important development, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday held a meeting with Sharad Pawar at the latter’s residence in Delhi and extended his full support to NCP amid a split in the party. NCP working president and MP Supriya Sule, Maharashtra LoP Jitendra Awhad and other NCP leaders were also present. Talking to the media, NCP leader Sonia Duhan said that Rahul Gandhi has extended his full support to NCP and the opposition parties are also standing with them
“Rahul Gandhi in his meeting with Sharad Pawar said that his full support is with NCP. He also said that Congress is 100 per cent with us and the opposition parties are also standing with NCP”, Sonia Duhan said.
With the NCP witnessing the unravelling of the party, the Pawar family feud played out on stage on Wednesday as NCP factions headed by Sharad Pawar and his nephew held rival meetings at Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in south Mumbai and in Bhujbal Knowledge City in suburban Bandra, respectively.
While sources revealed that Election Commission has received a petition from Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar staking claim to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the party symbol.
The sources said the Election Commission has also received a caveat from Jayant Patil, who is with the Sharad Pawar group. He also informed the panel that they have initiated a disqualification process against nine MLAs who joined the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in the state on Sunday.
The politics of Maharashtra is on the boil since Sunday as senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar took oath as the state’s deputy chief minister. On Wednesday, Ajit Pawar took a veiled dig at his uncle Sharad Pawar regarding his age that left the NCP Supremo’s party members and loyalists fuming, resulting in a chain of reactions.
Ajit Pawar urged Sharad Pawar to step down and give a chance to the new generation stating that even leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retire at the age of 75.
The junior Pawar also has blamed the 82-year-old Sharad Pawar for NCP losing out on the chance to have a chief minister of Maharashtra despite having the support of a majority of MLAs in the year 2014.
“You portrayed me as a villain in front of everyone. I still have deep respect for him (Sharad Pawar) …But you tell me, IAS officers retire at 60…even in politics – BJP leaders retire at 75. You can see the example of LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi…That allows the new generation to rise…”
Later in the day, NCP’s working president Supriya Sule in a stern response asked the deputy CM not to disrespect her father. “Disrespect us, but not our father (Sharad Pawar). This fight is against the Bharatiya Janata Party government. BJP is the most corrupt party in the country,” said Sule in Mumbai on Wednesday.
“I saw the 2019 elections, this 84-year-old man fought and won, age is just a number,” Sule said further. Meanwhile, Anil Deshmukh, NCP leader and a loyalist Sharad Pawar also came for rescue and ended up calling his party chief a “Lion” and said, “82 saal ka sher abhi bhi zinda hai,” (82-year-old Lion is still alive).
In the meanwhile, addressing the recent reports of discontent among Shiv Sena MLAs regarding NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s joining the Shinde-Fadnavis government, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde made it clear that his government has emerged stronger, adding that he has no plans of stepping down and termed it as “rumors”.
“It is all rumors…,” CM Shinde told ANI. Speaking about the split in the NCP, Shinde said that the NCP should introspect on what is happening in their party.
“They (NCP) should introspect on what is happening in their party. They should look into their party, khud ka ghar toh toot gya hai (Their own house is broken now).”
“Yesterday I also held a meeting with our MPs and MLAs and our government is getting stronger day by day,” he added.
He further added, “Including three parties presently our MLAs are more than 200. No leader is unhappy and all have faith. Our government is only getting stronger. We have a huge support of PM Modi and Amit Shah,” Maharashtra CM said.
But Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde may be replaced in the coming days in the wake of NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joining the National Democratic Alliance government. “The chief minister of Maharashtra may be changed in the coming days,” Sanjay Raut said.
Now, even as the fierce power tussle between rival Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions, led by Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar, continued in Maharashtra, Chief Minister of the state Eknath Shinde met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray at his residence on Friday.
The surprise and dramatic political moves of this week have changed the political equations in the state ahead of Lok Sabha and assembly polls next year and has ramifications for national politics.
But the story of Pawar family feud and the future of NCP is not over yet.
