In a series of contradictory statements, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar first asserted that there was "no split within the party" and that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar "remained its leader", only to later deny making such remarks. Pawar made his initial comments while speaking to reporters in his hometown of Mahahasrhta's Baramati before heading to Kolhapur for a rally. He acknowledged that certain leaders had departed the NCP due to differing political stances, but he refrained from labeling it as a split, saying: "Yes, there is no dispute about it."
Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Eknath Shinde on July 2, leading to a visible schism within the party originally founded by Sharad Pawar.
When asked about the statement made by his daughter and NCP working president Supriya Sule, asserting Ajit Pawar's leadership in the party and denying any split, Sharad Pawar initially responded with agreement. However, as his comments caused confusion and speculation, he later retracted his statement while in Satara, claiming he had not actually expressed such views.
"I am not saying that he is our leader. It is okay for Supriya (Sule) to say that. She is his (Ajit Pawar's) younger sister. There is no need to draw political meaning out of it," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
This incident follows the notable departure of Ajit Pawar and his supporters to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government, which had left the NCP visibly divided.
Sharad Pawar emphasised the importance of seizing opportunities for correction, referring to Ajit Pawar's previous alignment with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis following the 2019 assembly elections. He suggested that such opportunities were scarce and should not be pursued repeatedly.
Supriya Sule, the NCP's Baramati MP and senior Pawar's daughter, stood firm on her stand that "there's no split in the NCP". She had previously described Ajit Pawar as the "party's senior leader". She did, however, criticise his recent decisions as being contrary to the NCP's stance, indicating that the party had filed a complaint with the assembly speaker on the subject.
In response to Sharad Pawar's wavering statements, Sunil Tatkare, the state president of the faction led by Ajit Pawar, affirmed the clarity within their group and emphasized their adherence to legal procedures in joining the government, PTI reported.
Contrasting opinions emerged from political figures regarding the state of the NCP. Shiv Sena leader (UBT) Sanjay Raut claimed that the NCP had indeed divided into two factions. On the other hand, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule expressed optimism that Sharad Pawar's perspective might evolve due to the work of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.