"NCP Under My Leadership...": Ajit Pawar Amid Fight With Unlce Over Party

Ajit Pawar, who heads one of the factions of the NCP, on Tuesday described himself as the party's national president and defended his move of joining the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, saying several top politicians took "different" stand in the political history of the state.

In a statement issued to mark the completion of his being 100 days in office as the state deputy chief minister, he called Maharashtra's first chief minister late Yashwantrao Chavan as his source of inspiration. However, he did not mention the name of his uncle and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar.

Sharad Pawar, 82, considers Yashwantrao Chavan as his political mentor.

Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister of the state on July 2, the day he joined the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government along with eight other NCP MLAs.

In his open statement, he said the Maharashtra government was committed to the economic empowerment of all sections of the society, and added that the NCP would work vigorously to achieve the goal.

In the statement, Pawar, who described himself as the national president of the NCP, said employment, economic empowerment of all sections of the society, education, health, implementation of all welfare measures were the priority of the government.

"NCP is committed to achieving these goals by using the medium of power. Criticism is part and parcel of any politician's life. I always take cognisance of constructive criticism. I believe in positive and developmental politics. Taking any work to its logical end and bringing positive changes in the lives of people is what I believe in," he said.

The NCP believes in the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj, Dr B R Ambedkar and Yashwantrao Chavan. Under my leadership, the party will continue this legacy, Pawar said.

"In the political history of Maharashtra, several top leaders have taken a different political stand. Every political leader takes a stand depending on the prevailing political and social situation," he said.

"NCP, under my leadership, took a similar position on July 2, 2023 and joined the state government," he added.

He also laid claim to the legacy of Yashwantrao Chavan, saying the state's first chief minister inspires him to work for the welfare of people.

The NCP will work for farmers, youth, women and for protecting the rights of different sections of the society, he said.

"We have trodden on this path for 100 days and will continue to do so," he said.

Ajit Pawar's move of not mentioning his Sharad Pawar's name is being seen as an attempt to counter the latter's statement that the faction led by his nephew cannot use his name and photo on banners and posters.

The Election Commission is currently hearing the matter related to the split within the NCP. On Monday, it heard the claims of the Ajit Pawar-led faction over its claim on the NCP's name and poll symbol, even as the Sharad Pawar-led group contended that there were discrepancies in the documents submitted by its rival.

The EC fixed November 9 as the next date for hearing the warring factions of the NCP led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar over their claims to the party's name and election symbol.

Ajit Pawar, who had moved the EC staking claim to the party's name and poll symbol, submitted that he had the support of 42 of the 53 NCP MLAs in Maharashtra, six of the nine MLCs, all seven MLAs in Nagaland and one member each in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.

Two days before the rebellion against his uncle Sharad Pawar to join the Maharashtra government in early July, Ajit Pawar had approached the EC on June 30, staking claim to the party's name as well as symbol and subsequently, also declared himself as the party president with the support of 40 lawmakers.

Recently, the Sharad Pawar-led faction told the EC that there was no dispute in the party, except that a few mischievous individuals have defected from the organisation for their personal ambitions, a reference to the rebel group headed by Ajit Pawar.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)