In a significant blow to Sharad Pawar, all seven MLAs from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Nagaland have expressed their support for Ajit Pawar. The seven NCP MLAs from the northeastern state, issued a statement on Thursday, announcing that all party workers in the Nagaland NCP office will also support Ajit Pawar.
Earlier this month, Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Maharashtra Shiv Sena and BJP alliance government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. This decision caused a split in the NCP, the party founded by Sharad Pawar.
Ajit Pawar's move is similar to how Shinde separated from the Shiv Sena when Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister and eventually gained control of the Shiv Sena. In 2019, the Shiv Sena ended its alliance with the BJP and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, along with the Congress and NCP. However, that government collapsed last year after Shinde left the party and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government.
Ajit Pawar claims leadership of the "real NCP" and has received support from senior party leaders like Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dilip Walse Patil. Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar also asserts his leadership of the "real NCP" and has expelled several senior leaders for "anti-party activities."
