Ajit Pawar's party is 'real NCP', Sharad Pawar faction falls short of majority: Maharashtra Speaker

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Thursday (February 15) dealt a substantial blow to Sharad Pawar by declaring that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction led by Ajit Pawar holds the status of the genuine political party. The ruling emphasized Ajit Pawar's legislative majority, solidifying his position within the party.

"I hold that Ajit Pawar-led NCP is the real political party. Ajit Pawar has the legislative majority with 41 MLAs. This is undisputed," Speaker Narwekar said, indicating a clear endorsement of Ajit Pawar's faction as the prevailing force within the NCP.

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Within the Maharashtra Assembly, there are a total of 53 NCP MLAs. The ruling established that Ajit Pawar's faction, boasting the support of 41 MLAs, holds the undisputed majority. In contrast, Sharad Pawar's faction secures the allegiance of 12 MLAs, underscoring the significant gap in legislative support between the two factions.

The discord between Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar within the NCP has been a lingering issue since July 2023, when Ajit Pawar defected and aligned with the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra.

This move triggered a split within the NCP, leading to a prolonged factional dispute between the two leaders.

The root of the contention revolved around two crucial matters – the rightful ownership of the party and the question of whether MLAs from the opposing faction would face disqualification under Section 2(1)(A) of the Tenth Schedule.

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Earlier this month, the Election Commission stepped in and, after careful deliberation, declared the faction led by Ajit Pawar as the 'real political party.'

• Ajit Pawar
• Maharashtra
• Maharashtra Speaker
• NCP
• Nationalist Congress Party
• Sharad Pawar
• Speaker
• Rahul Narwekar