Year After NCP Split, Ajit Pawar Struggles To Stop Exodus To Uncle's Camp

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is in a huddle with party colleagues in Pune today after several key leaders switched to the NCP faction led by his uncle and party founder Sharad Pawar. Four Pune leaders resigned from their roles in the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar and joined the Sharad Pawar camp yesterday. These include Ajit Gavhane, NCP's former Pimpri-Chinchwad chief, and local leaders Rahul Bhosale, Pankaj Bhalekar, and Yash Sane.

Over 20 former corporators, mayors and unit heads from Pimpri-Chinchwad switched to the senior Pawar's camp yesterday.

The switch comes a month after the Lok Sabha election, in which the Sharad Pawar faction posted a stellar show by winning 8 of the 10 seats it contested. The Ajit Pawar camp was left disappointed, as it managed to win just one seat and lost three. The results, at one level, also showed it is the senior Pawar that NCP supporters are eager to back. This is all the more significant because state polls in Maharashtra are months away.

Sharad Pawar's Comeback

Sharad Pawar, who founded NCP in 1999, suffered a big setback last year when his nephew Ajit Pawar led a mutiny and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government as a Deputy Chief Minister. The veteran politician also lost his party's name and symbol and had to fight the Lok Sabha election under the name of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). The poll results brought good news as the veteran trumped his nephew's faction and won eight seats out of the 10 NCP (SP) contested.

Why NCP Leaders Are Switching

Elections in Maharashtra are months away, and every leader is exploring ways to get a poll pass. With the Sharad Pawar-led faction scoring big in the Lok Sabha polls, many leaders expect them to repeat it in the state election and want to be on the winning side. Several leaders have cited local factors behind their move to switch. "If you look at Pimpri-Chinchwad, both Ajit dada and Pawar sahab contributed to its development. But since 2017, BJP has been ruling the municipal corporation. Development work here was done in the wrong way. There was rampant corruption here," Mr Gavhane told ANI.

Sharad Pawar's daughter and four-time Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule said the veteran leader has been working for development in Maharashtra and at the Centre for the last 60 years. "We have faith in Pawar sahab's ideology and many people in the opposition, too, look towards him with great hopes. This is why people are joining him," Ms Sule told ANI.

Can Ajit Pawar Switch?

As leaders of his faction switch to Sharad Pawar's camp, there is speculation that Ajit Pawar, too, may finally try to go back. Sharad Pawar was recently asked if his nephew will get a place in his party if he wants to return. The veteran replied, "Such decisions cannot be taken at the personal level. My colleagues who stood by me during the crisis will be asked first".

Ajit Pawar's standing in the Eknath Shinde-led government has taken a big blow due to his poll setback. He is now a Deputy Chief Minister, whose party managed just one seat in the Lok Sabha contest. 

And against this backdrop, the upcoming state polls will be a tall challenge for the 64-year-old leader.