Sharad Pawar vs Ajit Pawar: Who has more support?

Maharashtra is witnessing a rerun of the political turmoil seen last year. But this year, not Shiv Sena but the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is at the receiving end of a split within the party. While junior Pawar has joined hands with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance in the state, senior Pawar is on the opposite side.

After taking oath as the Maharashtra deputy chief minister on Sunday (2 July), Ajit Pawar claimed he had the backing of “all” NCP MLAs. Besides him, eight other NCP leaders, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Dhananjay Munde, Aditi Tatkare, Anil Patil, Sanjay Bhansode and Aatram Dharamraobaba Bhagwantrao, were inducted into the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government.

Speaking to reporters after the state Cabinet meeting today, the new deputy chief minister made similar claims, saying he has the support of the “majority” of the NCP MLAs.

#BreakingNews: Big statement by Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, “The majority of (NCP) MLAs are with me.”

CNN-News18’s @kotakyesha brings in more details #MaharashtraPoliticalCrisis | @JamwalNews18 pic.twitter.com/QRxMeXWOSg

— News18 (@CNNnews18) July 4, 2023

However, Sharad Pawar has denied Ajit Pawar’s claims and earlier said that the “truth will be out soon”.

In the Pawar vs Pawar feud, which leader has more support? Let’s take a closer look.

Who is with Ajit Pawar?

According to PTI sources, in a letter submitted to Raj Bhavan, Ajit Pawar claimed he has the support of more than 40 MLAs and over six MLCs of the NCP.

However, many MLAs have alleged they signed the letter “without knowing the purpose”, reported NDTV.

In the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, the BJP has 106 MLAs, NCP 53, Congress 44, Shiv Sena (Shinde) 40, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) 16 and the rest 29 seats are held by smaller parties and independents.

If Ajit Pawar has the support of two-thirds of the NCP MLAs, he can then claim the party name and symbol.

But despite his claims, Ajit Pawar has only been seen with nine NCP MLAs, according to the NDTV report. The deputy chief minister said earlier, with Praful Patel by his side, that he will reveal the numbers when needed, the report added.

As per the India Today report on 3 July, about “24” MLAs, including Sunil Tingare, Sunil Shelke, Atul Benke, Ashok Pawar, Saroj Ahire, Narhari Zirwal, Indranil Naik, Nilesh Lanke, Shekhar Nikam, Datta Bharne, Anna Bansode, Sangram Jagtap, Manikrao Kokate, Kiran Lahamate and Dipak Chavan, have expressed support for the junior Pawar.

Who is loyal to Sharad Pawar?

A day after his nephew Ajit’s rebellion, Sharad Pawar, in a show of strength, visited Satara district’s Karad to pay tribute at the Yashvantrao Chavan memorial.

His grandnephew and NCP MLA Rohit Pawar had accompanied the 82-year-old NCP patriarch to Karad on Monday. Like other NCP leaders, Rohit has used social media to showcase his allegiance to senior Pawar.

Posting a video on Sunday on his Twitter account, Rohit wrote: “Struggle lies ahead… but who is going to stop? Entire Maharashtra is with Sahyadri..(referring to Sharad Pawar). The wind will blow from the valleys and villages… Then who is afraid of the struggle? Fighting and winning is in Maharashtra’s blood.”

The 37-year-old first-time MLA told reporters on Monday that his respect for his “Ajit kaka” will stay the same, however, he said he will “always be with” Sharad Pawar.

Tweeting a picture with senior Pawar, Jitendra Awadh wrote on Twitter, “Always with respectable Sahab (Sharad Pawar)”.

कायम आदरणीय साहेबांच्या सोबतच…! pic.twitter.com/sp62weAHk6

— Dr.Jitendra Awhad (@Awhadspeaks) July 2, 2023

Anil Deshmukh, Jayant Patil, Sandeep Kshirsagar and Prajakt Prasadrao Tanpure were among the other NCP leaders who took to the microblogging site to declare their support for Sharad Pawar.

मी आणि आमचे सगळे सहकारी साहेबांसोबतच!! pic.twitter.com/bqW6nZhNN8

— ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) July 2, 2023

According to the India Today report, senior Pawar has the support of “14” MLAs, including Daulat Daroda, Nawab Malik, Makrand Patil, Mansing Naik, Sumantai Patil, Balasaheb Patil, Sunil Bhusara, and Chetan Tupe, as well as the others mentioned above.

The report claims that Rajendra Shingane, Manohar Chandrikapure, Rajendra Karemore, Nitin Pawar, Dilip Bankar, Dilip Mohite, Ashutosh Kale, Prakash Solankhe, Rajesh Patil, Yashwant Mane, Baban Shinde, Babasaheb Patil, Balasaheb Ajabe, Chandrakant Navghare and Rajesh Tope are yet to take a call on which Pawar to side with.

Meanwhile, Amol Kolhe, NCP MP from Shirur, and Wai MLA Makarand Patil returned to Sharad Pawar’s side, just a day after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Ajit Pawar at Raj Bhavan.

ALSO READ: Devendra Fadnavis: The man behind Maharashtra coups

Who will come out on top?

The picture will be clearer in the coming days. Both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar have called meetings of the NCP leaders in Mumbai on Wednesday (5 July).

As per Deccan Herald, while senior Pawar’s huddle will take place at the YB Chavan Auditorium in Nariman Point, the Ajit Pawar-led camp will meet at Bandra’s MET Institute of Management.

The disgruntlement between the two factions has come to the limelight in the last few days.

Sharad Pawar removed his long-time aide and NCP’s working president Praful Patel and general secretary Sunil Tatkare for engaging in “anti-party” activities.

The Ajit Pawar faction appointed Tatkare as the Maharashtra NCP president, replacing Jayant Patil. It also asked the Maharashtra Assembly speaker to disqualify Patil and Jitendra Awhad from membership of the House.

Patil said today that Ajit’s camp cannot sack him and claimed Sharad Pawar has the support of “all 35 NCP MLAs”.

With inputs from agencies

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