 "Supriya Sule rules out reconciliation with Ajit Pawar while he's with BJP")
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) [NCP (SP)] Working President Supriya Sule ruled out any political reconciliation with her cousin, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, as long as he continues his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Speaking with news agency PTI on Thursday, Sule clarified that she has no aspirations for the Chief Minister’s post if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition secures victory in the upcoming state elections.
Comprising the NCP (SP), Congress, and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), the MVA secured 30 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in the 2024 General Elections. Additionally, an independent candidate backing the Opposition alliance also secured a seat.
Riding the victory from the general elections, Sule, a four-term Lok Sabha MP, expressed confidence in the MVA’s potential performance in the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Ajit Pawar’s NCP limited success in polls
The NCP party split after Ajit Pawar and several other NCP legislators joined the BJP-backed government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in July 2023. Ajit Pawar’s defection mirrors Shinde’s own split from the Shiv Sena in June 2022, which led to a division within that party as well.
Ajit Pawar became Deputy Chief Minister following the party split, however, Ajit Pawar’s faction failed to perform in the General Elections winning only one of the four contested seats. In the Baramati constituency, a traditional stronghold of the Pawar family, Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, was defeated by Sule by a margin exceeding 150,000 votes.
Beyond Maharashtra, the Ajit Pawar-led NCP achieved some success in the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly elections, securing three out of the 14 seats they contested.
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In contrast, Sharad Pawar’s faction secured eight out of the ten contested Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra and won eight, demonstrating a stronger electoral performance.
‘No question of reconciliation, unless...’: Sule
When asked about any potential for reconciliation between the two NCP factions, Sule said, “It is hard to say whether the Pawars can reunite with Ajit Pawar politically. As long as he is working for the BJP, it will not be easy. Our ideologies still remain a challenge politically.”
On the state’s fragmented political landscape, Sule remarked that the results of the recent Lok Sabha elections have brought “clarity” to voters, settling any political confusion. “The only issue now is the ongoing legal battle due to the unlawful ways parties were divided and handed over. The fight will continue,” she said, referring to the legal disputes surrounding party breakaways and the redistribution of political assets.
‘I am not contesting the elections’: Sule
Supriya Sule also dismissed speculation that she might be the MVA’s chief ministerial candidate, saying, “I am not contesting elections, and the NCP (SP) has made it clear that we are not in the race for the CM’s post. We have clarity and will support whoever our alliance partners select.”
Speculation around the Chief Minister candidate comes as Sharad Pawar’s recently hinted at retirement from parliamentary politics.
Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said, “I will not be in power, but will continue to work for the people, work for the drought-affected regions, the marginalised segments of society.”
“The last one-and-a-half years are left for my tenure to end in Rajya Sabha. I will think about whether I should go for another Rajya Sabha term. However, I am not going to fight any Lok Sabha election or any other election in the future,” the veteran politician said.
Delays in seat-sharing agreements in MVA
The NCP (SP) is set to contest 86 out of the 288 seats as part of the MVA’s seat-sharing agreement. Sule expressed confidence in the party’s prospects in the Assembly elections, stating that the alliance’s seat-sharing negotiations were conducted respectfully and thoughtfully.
“Alliance talks in a vibrant democracy take time, and we must be respectful towards our allies. We ensured that no one felt pressured or marginalised,” Sule explained, addressing the delayed finalisation of seat allocation among MVA partners.
[With PTI inputs]