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NCP factionalism: Who will retain Pune office between Ajit and Sharad Pawar camp?
A day after a ruckus at NCP office at Shivajinagar, NCP Sharad Pawar camp said that the lease agreement of the office has been done by their faction and there is no question of it going to rival side
Pune: A day after a ruckus at the NCP office at Shivajinagar, NCP Sharad Pawar camp leader Jayant Patil on Thursday said that the lease agreement of the office has been done by Prashant Jagtap, a city unit head of their camp and there is no question of the office going to the rival camp. Patil’s reaction came after Deepak Mankar, city unit head (Ajit Pawar camp), said that they will take possession of the office soon.
Earlier on Wednesday, the followers of Sharad Pawar removed the cornerstone carrying the name of Ajit Pawar and posters, flexes of watch, the poll symbol of NCP Ajit Pawar faction, from the office, promoting the police to intervene.
The move was prompted after the Election Commission of India (ECI) ruled that the Ajit Pawar’s faction is the real NCP and will get the watch poll symbol.
Hundreds of followers of Sharad Pawar camp gathered at the NCP party office located near Dengle Bridge and shouted slogans against the guardian minister Ajit Pawar. Some women workers vandalised the NCP party office property, before bringing down the watch symbol set up at the top of the building.
“This is a party built by Sharad Pawar and people are aware of it. Now if they (Ajit Pawar camp) want to take possession of the office, it’s not possible since the lease agreement has been done by Jagtap,” Patil told reporters in Pune during the review meet of various constituencies ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Meanwhile, Mankar said, “Now that the Election Commission has given a verdict that the party and the symbol are with our faction, we will take possession of the NCP office.”
The NCP had shifted to the 5,000 square feet office with ample parking space near Civil Court Metro Station in June 2021.
