Ajit Pawar

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

The events that unfolded in the NCP in July 2023 were clearly in the nature of intraparty dissent, and the decisions of the Ajit Pawar faction constituted the `will of the NCP political party’, the Speaker said.

The allotment comes a day after the polling body held that the NCP faction headed by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is the "real NCP" based on its legislative strength.

The decision comes months after a split emerged in the NCP ranks, with uncle and party founder Sharad Pawar on one side and his nephew Ajit Pawar on the other.

In December 2023, the SC had granted Rahul Narwekar, the speaker of Maharashtra assembly to decide the pleas against NCP MLAs by January 31.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Sassoon General Hospital here, Pawar said that though the JN.1 variant of coronavirus is not very serious, people are advised to use masks.

Asked about opposition parties taking out rallies in Pune district against the state government, Mr Pawar said a Lok Sabha MP from the NCP had expressed his willingness to step down as member of the Lower House of Parliament.

Two days before rebelling against uncle Sharad Pawar to join the Maharashtra government in early July, Ajit Pawar had approached the Election Commission on June 30 staking claim to the party name as well as the symbol and subsequently declared himself as the party president with the support of 40 lawmakers.

The court has also directed the Speaker to decide disqualification petitions against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs by January 31

NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad had claimed the Ajit Pawar camp, through its lawyer, had alleged that Sharad Pawar ran the party in an undemocratic manner and treated it as his fiefdom when the warring factions of the party met the Election Commission in Delhi on October 6.

Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar will attend the event, a press release from the Mumbai University said.

The petition was filed on September 22 by Anil Bhaidas Patil, who is the chief whip of the Ajit Pawar faction.

Fadnavis was responding to Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan's claim that Ajit Pawar will be appointed as the chief minister around August 10 replacing Shinde.

Although the Ajit Pawar camp stated they sought the blessings and guidance of the Pawar senior in the current situation, the latter had not given any reaction earlier.

Sharad Pawar will go to the Opposition paty meeting irrespective of what is happening here, said NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase.