New Delhi: All seven Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs in Nagaland have expressed support to Ajit Pawar, in a major setback for his uncle Sharad Pawar.
The move comes just weeks after Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Maharashtra Shiv Sena and BJP alliance government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
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That move split the NCP, the party founded by Sharad Pawar.
Ajit Pawar’s tactical manoeuvre has parallels to how Shinde broke away from the Shiv Sena when Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister. Shinde eventually gained control of the Shiv Sena.
In 2019, the Shiv Sena had ended the alliance with the BJP and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra with the Congress and NCP.
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The government collapsed last year after Shinde split the party and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government.
Sharad Pawar has also asserted his claim as the leader of the “real NCP,” expelling several senior leaders for “anti-party activities.”
The development in Nagaland is a further blow to Sharad Pawar, who is facing a growing challenge from Ajit Pawar. It remains to be seen how the NCP will be able to recover from this setback.