Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar's faction of the NCP is part of the Mahayuti government in alliance with the BJP and Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena.

The latest development highlights the growing dissent within the NCP following its poor performance in the Lok Sabha elections, where it secured only one seat out of 48.

The Sharad Pawar-founded NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government. After the split, the Election Commission (EC) recognised Ajit Pawar's faction as the real NCP and gave the party name and 'clock' symbol to it

The leaders who left the party include Pimpri-Chinchwad unit chief Ajit Gavahane, Pimpri student wing chief Yash Sane and former corporators Rahul Bhosale and Pankaj Bhalekar.

The incumbent Mahayuti won all nine seats it contested in the MLC elections, seen as a semifinal contest before the upcoming state assembly polls.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut opined that the MVA should enter the election fray by announcing its CM candidate and proposed his party chief, Uddhav Thackeray, for the same.

In its 'election budget', the ruling coalition, which got a drubbing in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, has come out with a list of measures for women, farmers and weaker sections of society

He said the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP alliance had to "pay the price" for discontent among farmers in the onion growing belt of the state, including Nashik, where the ruling coalition fared poorly in the polls.

A video recently emerged on social media showing Gajanan Marne felicitating Ahmednagar MP Nilesh Lanke at his Pune home.

The BJP’s central leadership has allied with Ajit Pawar, who is seen as an able leader, considering the long-term view, says Pawar-led NCP.

I wish to thank Sharad Pawar for leading the party for the last 24 years, along with those who have remained with it since its inception, says Ajit Pawar.

"Last night we were informed that our party will get a Minister of State with independent charge. I was earlier a Cabinet Minister in the Union Government, so this will be a demotion for me," said Parful Patel.

The meeting took place at his official residence Deogiri in south Mumbai.

A notable aspect of this election in Maharashtra is the increase in major parties from four in the last election to six now, due to the rebellion in Shiv Sena in 2022 and NCP in 2023

Maharashtra Lok Sabha Polls: Supriya Sule believes that the electoral clash between her and her sister-in-law, Sunetra Pawar, is a plot devised by the BJP with the strategic aim of undermining the political influence of NCP founder Sharad Pawar.

Lok Sabha polls 2024: The real battleground, however, lies in the power struggle between Ajit Pawar and his seasoned uncle, Sharad Pawar, a veteran politician.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan further asked the Ajit Pawar faction to give an undertaking that they will not use Sharad Pawar's name and the clock symbol together in its election campaign.

Maharashtra Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, comprising the BJP, led by Shiv Sena under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, and the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, has made significant progress in their talks over seat allocation following several days of intense deliberations.

Shinde along with his deputies Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, all political rivals of Sharad Pawar, will be attending a job fair, 'Namo Maharojgar Melava', in the premises of Vidya Pratishthan college in Baramati town of Pune district.

The apex court further directed that Sharad Pawar's faction can continue using the name 'Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar' till further order