Maharashtra polls: ‘Real’ battle for NCP as both factions fight each other in 36 seats

While the Ajit Pawar-NCP has fielded 35 sitting MLAs, the Sharad Pawar-led faction has fielded 15 sitting MLAs for the polls

MUMBAI: In battleground Maharashtra, the stage is set for a decisive fight to claim the ‘real’ tag by both factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), even as an identical struggle plays out between the two factions of the Shiv Sena.

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and uncle Sharad Pawar. (HT FILE)

The NCP split last year, when Ajit Pawar fractured the party headed by veteran leader Sharad Pawar, who founded it 25 years ago. Ajit Pawar took a majority of MLAs with him and, together, they joined the ruling Mahayuti alliance. He also claimed the position of NCP president, as well as the party’s name and its electoral symbol. The Election Commission of India (ECI) awarded the party name and symbol to the faction headed by Ajit.

Now, both factions of the NCP are in direct confrontation with each other in as many as 36 seats across the state. While the Ajit Pawar-NCP has fielded 35 sitting MLAs, the Sharad Pawar-led faction has fielded 15 sitting MLAs for the polls.

In the state assembly elections held in 2019, the undivided NCP registered victory in 53 seats. In July 2022, the NCP broke into two parties, when Ajit Pawar decided to join the ruling Mahayuti government by taking 40 MLAs with him. He was made deputy chief minister, and eight more leaders were also inducted as ministers. Veteran leader Sharad Pawar was left with around 15 MLAs. It was on this basis that the Election Commission of India deemed the Ajit Pawar faction the ‘original’ NCP.

But the real test of the NCP will be fought on November 20 as one-third of its sitting MLAs are contesting against NCP (SP) candidates. Sharad Pawar has fielded candidates against most of the senior NCP leaders who switched their allegiance. The list starts from Baramati, where Pawar has fielded his grand-nephew, Yugendra Pawar, who is also Ajit Pawar’s nephew and the son of Ajit’s younger brother Shrinivas.

Pawar has also fielded Devdutt Nikam from Ambegaon, which is represented by senior NCP minister Dilip Walse Patil, once considered a close aide of the veteran politician. Chhagan Bhujbal is another leader against whom Pawar has pitted a candidate. He has fielded Manikrao Shinde in the Yeola constituency. NCP minister Dhananjay Munde is facing a challenge from Rajesaheb Deshmukh for Parli; Dharamrao Atram is facing competition from his own daughter Bhagyashree for the Aheri seat, and another minister, Aditi Tatkare, is being challenged by NCP (SP) candidate Anil Navghane.

The challenge works both ways, as the Ajit Pawar-led NCP too has fielded candidates against NCP (SP) leaders. It has nominated Nishikant Patil against state NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil in the Islampur constituency. The party has fielded Najeeb Mulla against NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad in Mumbra-Kalwa, and Dnyaneshwar Katke against NCP (SP) MLA Ashok Pawar in Shirur, among others.

“It was obvious that both factions would fight against each other for the maximum number of seats,” remarked Sunil Tatkare, state NCP president.

However, the NCP has ditched Arjuni-Morgaon MLA Manohar Chandrikapure, who shifted loyalty to Ajit Pawar during the split. The party has nominated Rajkumar Badole, a recent import from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as its candidate. Ajit Pawar was unable to field another MLA, Balasaheb Ajabe, as the BJP claimed the Ashti seat in the seat-sharing deal in the Mahayuti alliance. Baban Shinde is another MLA who did not get a ticket from any party. The Madha MLA wanted the NCP (SP) to nominate his son Ranjit for the polls but Pawar apparently wanted to field him, not his son.

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP got only 51 seats in the seat-sharing distribution in the Mahayuti alliance, whereas the Sharad Pawar-led faction managed to get 87 seats in the Maha Vikas Aghadi-led opposition coalition. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the NCP (SP) won eight of the ten seats it contested, while the NCP won only one seat of the four contested by them.

NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said, “It (assembly election) is not a test for us because we are the real NCP. The people of Maharashtra proved it by giving us victory in eight of the ten seats in the Lok Sabha polls. It is definitely not a test for the Ajit Pawar-led faction either, as they are nowhere, compared to us.”