Workers of the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) two factions want to unite and all tensions within the Pawar family have been resolved, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
“The workers of both parties want to unite. The two NCPs are together now. All tensions in our family have ended,” he said.
The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar, split two years ago following a mutiny by his nephew, Ajit Pawar. The Ajit Pawar-led faction subsequently joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and he took charge as Deputy Chief Minister.
Ajit Pawar also claimed the NCP’s party name and ‘clock’ symbol, while Sharad Pawar’s faction received a new name, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), and a new symbol, a trumpet.
The two factions have decided to join forces for the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation election.
Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, Sharad Pawar’s daughter and Ajit Pawar’s cousin, also confirmed to NDTV that the two NCP factions have come together for the Pimpri-Chinchwad polls on the demand of party workers.
“There has been no discussion on whether this alliance with Ajit Pawar will continue,” she said.
Sule also trashed rumours of NCP (SP) joining Maharashtra’s BJP-led government and her taking charge as a minister. “Let those who are happy with such rumours talk about them,” she said.