NCP Rebels To Get New Party Office Near Maharashtra Secretariat

The Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party will have its new office -- Rashtrawadi Bhavan -- near the state secretariat. Sources said Ajit Pawar and the MLAs supporting him will soon inaugurate the new Rashtrawadi Bhavan.

The current party office is located at Ballard Estate.

While Ajit Pawar and his aides, including MP Praful Patel, insist that they are the party and not any breakaway faction, the selection of a new party office is seen to create a contrary impression.

Veteran leader Sharad Pawar, who founded the NCP 24 years ago and has been leading it since, has termed his nephew's coup a "robbery". His faction has also sacked six leaders, including MPs Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, and sought their disqualification.

The rebels, though, insist that they are a "majority" in the party. They also want Sharad Pawar to join them.

"We request Sharad Pawar to accept the decision of majority in the party... We want his blessings," Praful Patel said today.

The alternative was spelt out by Ajit Pawar. "If there's any issue within the party, the Election Commission of India decides who has the party and symbol," he said.

The rebels, following the template set by the breakaway Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde last year, have named their "group" and "state unit" leaders. They have also "sacked" Jayant Patil, the state chief of the faction led by Sharad Pawar.

Mr Pawar, who has massively lost face after the revolt, indicated that he was undeterred and will build the party afresh.