 "Ajit Pawar vs Sharad Pawar")
Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) demonstrated substantial gains in the recent Arunachal Pradesh assembly elections, marking a significant milestone since the party’s split in July 2023. However, in the Lok Sabha election 2024, uncle Sharad Pawar proved to be the stronger political figure, with his faction securing eight out of the 10 seats they contested, compared to Ajit Pawar’s single win in the state.
Ajit Pawar-led NCP gains ground
Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Elections:
In the recent Arunachal Pradesh assembly elections, Ajit Pawar’s NCP demonstrated notable success, securing three out of the 14 contested seats. The victorious candidates were Toko Tataung from Yachuli, Likha Soni from Lekang, and Nikh Kamin from Bordumsa-Diyun. This victory marks the faction’s first significant achievement since the party’s split in July 2023, garnering 10.06 per cent of the total vote share.
Lok Sabha Elections in Maharashtra:
Despite its success in Arunachal Pradesh, the NCP managed to secure only one seat in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.
Also Read
Sunil Dattatray Tatkare won the Raigad seat with a margin of 82,784 votes, defeating Anant Geete of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) [Shiv Sena (UBT)] party.
Ajit Pawar commented on the results, stating, “The NCP and Mahayuti alliance could not get the expected success in Maharashtra, but we have the power to change the picture.”
Sharad Pawar-led NCP outperforms in Lok Sabha Elections
Sharad Pawar’s NCP [NCP (SP)] exhibited a strong performance in the Lok Sabha elections, securing eight out of the ten seats it contested.
Supriya Sule wins Baramati seat
Supriya Sule achieved a significant victoryfrom the Baramati seat, defeating her sister-in-law, Sunetra Pawar, by a margin of 158,333 votes. Sule secured 732,312 votes, while Sunetra Pawar managed 573,979 votes.
Baramati, a stronghold of the Pawar family, has historically elected Sharad Pawar six times, and Sule’s win marks her fourth consecutive victory.
Key wins for NCP(SP) in Maharashtra
Dindori: Bhaskar Bhagare defeated Bharati Pawar with a vote margin of 113,199.
Bhiwandi: Suresh Mhatre, in his debut election, defeated Union Minister Kapil Patil.
Madha: Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil, who joined Sharad Pawar’s camp after leaving the BJP in April, defeated BJP’s Ranjeet Singh Naik Nimbalkar with a vote margin of 66,121.
Wardha: Former Congress MLA Amar Kale, contesting on an NCP (SP) ticket, defeated BJP’s Ramdas Tadas with a vote margin of 81,648.
Shirur: Actor-turned-politician and sitting MP Amol Kolhe defeated Adhal Rao Patil of the Ajit Pawar faction with a 140,951 vote margin.
Beed: Bajrang Sonawane defeated BJP leader Pankaja Munde by a margin of around 6,585 votes.
Among the two seats where the party trailed were Raver, where Eknath Khadse’s daughter-in-law Raksha Khadse competed against Shriram Patil, and Satara, where Shashi Kant Shinde of the NCP (SP) lagged behind Udyan Raje Bhosale, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
What is the Pawar vs Pawar political feud?
Maharashtra’s political arena has been turbulent since 2014, with significant shifts and power struggles shaping its current state. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power in 2014 and maintained its stronghold in the 2019 general elections through an alliance with the then-undivided Shiv Sena. However, a major upheaval occurred in 2022 that reshaped alliances and loyalties.
The Eknath Shinde - Uddhav Thackeray feud
Eknath Shinde, a prominent Shiv Sena leader, cross-voted in favour of the BJP, leading to his removal from his position by Uddhav Thackeray. Shinde's subsequent alignment with the BJP escalated the political crisis, culminating in a split within the Shiv Sena: Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT).
This divide saw Shinde forming a faction that was later recognised by the Election Commission as the legitimate Shiv Sena.
Ajit Pawar’s NCP rebellion
Ajit Pawar split from the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) last year and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra. This move positioned Ajit Pawar as the Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) under the Eknath Shinde-led government, with eight other NCP members being sworn in as MLAs.
Following the split, Sharad Pawar initiated a series of dismissals and reappointments within his faction, including removing Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, the latter being one of the MLAs who sided with Ajit Pawar. Additionally, Sharad Pawar’s faction filed disqualification petitions against Ajit Pawar and the eight other members who joined the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.
Ajit Pawar also replaced Jayant Patil with Sunil Tatkare as the Maharashtra NCP chief and approached the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to disqualify Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from the House.
Ajit Pawar joins NDA, Sharad Pawar INDIA bloc
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP remains part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra, which includes the Shiv Sena (UBT). The MVA joined the INDIA bloc for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Election Commission recognises Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction
The Election Commission officially recognised Ajit Pawar’s faction as the legitimate NCP, granting it the party’s ‘clock’ symbol. The EC came to this conclusion as Ajit Pawar had majority support in the party with more than 40 of NCP’s 53 MLAs.
Subsequently, the Supreme Court allowed the Sharad Pawar faction provisional use of the NCP name and symbol for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Baramati: The battle of Pawar cousins
The internal feud within the Pawar family took centre stage in the Lok Sabha elections, particularly in Baramati, a stronghold of the Pawar family.
The seat became a focal point after Ajit Pawar pitted his wife, Sunetra Pawar, against his cousin, Supriya Sule. Baramati, historically a bastion for Sharad Pawar, who was elected six times, saw intense competition.
The recent electoral results show that while Ajit Pawar’s NCP has made significant inroads in regional elections, Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) continues to hold a strong influence in the Lok Sabha elections, particularly in Maharashtra.
