2023 Nationalist Congress Party split

Last updated

2023 Nationalist Congress Party split
Part of Politics of Maharashtra
Date2 July 2023 (2023-07-02) - 7 February 2024 (2024-02-07)
Location Mumbai, Maharashtra
Outcome

Numbers by Factions:

15 / 56 (27%)
40 / 56 (71%)
7 / 9 (78%)
2 / 9 (22%)
Followed by 2022 Shiv Sena split

The 2023 Nationalist Congress Party split occurred on 2 July 2023, when Ajit Pawar, along with several other party leaders, broke away from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena alliance government in Maharashtra. [1] Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, along with eight other NCP leaders who took oath as ministers. [2] This led to a vertical split in the party, with two factions emerging: one led by Sharad Pawar and the other by Ajit Pawar. [1] The split resulted in a legal battle over the party's name and symbol. On 6 February 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) awarded the party name and symbol to the faction headed by Ajit Pawar. The faction led by Sharad Pawar was subsequently recognized as Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). [3] On 5 March 2024, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar declared the Ajit Pawar faction as the "real" NCP, citing its legislative majority. [4]

Contents

Reasons Behind the Split

Ajit Pawar was in favor of forming an alliance with the traditionally opposite party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, Sharad Pawar publicly opposed this idea. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and BJP have different ideologies. The NCP allegedly follows a centrist, secular, and inclusive political approach, focusing on social justice, federalism, and the welfare of farmers and weaker sections of society. [5] On the other hand, the BJP adheres to a right-wing ideology that emphasizes nationalism, Hindu cultural values, and economic liberalization. [6] Ajit Pawar mentioned that Sharad Pawar had been ready to align with the BJP multiple times in the past, and a majority of NCP leaders also wished to form an alliance with the BJP, which is the ruling party in the state of Maharashtra. This ideological shift caused significant internal conflict within the NCP, as many members were reluctant to compromise their core values for political gain. [7] [8]

Sharad Pawar is the supreme leader and his word is final in the NCP, but Ajit had a different vision for the party, which Sharad Pawar kept objecting to. This prompted Ajit Pawar to form a rebellion with others and split the party. [9]

The split was also driven by ideological differences, political ambitions, and strategic disagreements. Ajit Pawar, who led the breakaway faction, cited the need for a different political alliance as a primary reason for the split. Supriya Sule, a senior leader in the Sharad Pawar-led faction, emphasized that the split was due to ideological differences within the party and had nothing to do with personal disputes within the Pawar family. [3]

Ajit Pawar's ambitions to secure a higher political position also played a crucial role in the split. Despite being a prominent leader within the NCP, Ajit Pawar had long harbored aspirations to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, a position he had been unable to attain due to the NCP's alliances with other parties like the Congress and Shiv Sena. [10] By aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar saw an opportunity to enhance his political influence and secure a significant role in the state government. [4]

Ajit Pawar also mentioned that Sharad Pawar had sent him to form an alliance with the BJP on multiple occasions, only to back off later, which put him in a difficult position. Ajit Pawar felt that this inconsistent approach was detrimental to his political career and the party's stability. He also stated that, in private, Sharad Pawar was open to forming an alliance with the BJP, but publicly opposed it, causing further confusion and instability within the party. Ajit Pawar even took oath as Deputy Chief Minister with the BJP in November 2019, but had to resign quickly as Sharad Pawar changed his stance. [11] [12]

The internal dissent within the NCP was further fueled by differing views on the party's future direction and alliances. While Sharad Pawar and his loyalists preferred to maintain the existing alliances within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Ajit Pawar and his supporters believed that a new political alignment with the BJP would be more beneficial for their political careers and the party's influence in Maharashtra. [10]

Allegations of Central Agency Pressure

Some political observers and opposition leaders have alleged that investigations by central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against NCP leaders played a role in the party's split in 2023. They claim that the prospect of ongoing probes may have influenced certain NCP leaders to join the ruling alliance. For instance, senior NCP leaders such as Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Hasan Mushrif were under ED investigation for various cases when they switched sides. [13] NCP supremo Sharad Pawar himself suggested that some leaders joined the government to avoid facing investigations. [14] However, the leaders who switched sides have denied these allegations, stating that their decision was based on developmental issues and not influenced by any investigations. [15]

Timeline

Split

Before Ajit Pawar took the oath as Deputy Chief Minister, on 5 June 2023, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and said that cabinet would be expanded further. [19] Praful Patel even went to Patna for the opposition meeting with Supriya Sule instead of Ajit Pawar's uncle and National President of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sharad Pawar. [20]

On 2 July 2023, suddenly Ajit Pawar went to Raj Bhavan in Mumbai and took oath as Deputy Chief Minister, along with NCP leaders like Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Dhananjay Munde, Hasan Mushrif, Aatram Dharamraobaba Bhagwantrao, Aditi Sunil Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode. All the seven NCP MLAs of Nagaland are with Ajit Pawar.[ citation needed ]

On 6 February 2024, Ajit Pawar's faction has been officially recognized as the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) by the Election Commission of India. The EC has granted his faction the party's poll symbol and name, giving them the status of the official NCP. The Election Commission has directed Sharad Pawar's camp to take a new name for the upcoming 2024 general elections. [21]

Number of members in NCP with Leaders
Leaders MLA Lok Sabha MP MLC
Sharad Pawar 1543
Ajit Pawar 4019
Total number of members of NCP before split55511

MLA's of NCP

Sr No.Ajit PawarSr No.Sharad Pawar
1 Aditi Tatkare 1Ashok Pawar
2 Dharamrao Aatram 2 Anil Deshmukh
3 Ajit Pawar 3 Balasaheb Patil
4 Anil Patil 4Nilesh Lanke
5 Anna Bansode 5 Chandrakant Nawghare
6 Ashutosh Kale 6 Jayant Patil
7Atul Benke7 Jitendra Awhad
8 Babasaheb Patil 8 Mansingh Naik
9Babanrao Shinde9Dr Rajendra Shingne
10 Balasaheb Ajabe 10 Prajakt Tanpure
11 Chhagan Bhujbal 11 Rajesh Tope
12 Dattatraya Bharane 12 Rohit Pawar
13 Daulat Daroda 13 Sandeep Kshirsagar
14 Dhananjay Munde 14 Suman Patil
15Dilip Bankar15Sunil Bhusara
16 Dilip Mohite
17 Dilip Walse-Patil
18 Dipak Chavan
19 Hasan Mushrif
20 Indranil Naik
21 Kiran Lahamate
22 Makrand Patil
23 Manikrao Kokate
24 Manohar Chandrikapure
25 Narhari Sitaram Zirwal
26 Chetan Tupe
27Nitin Pawar
28 Prakashdada Solanke
29 Nawab Malik
30 Rajesh Patil
31 Raju Karemore
32 Sanjay Bansode
33 Saroj Ahire
34 Sangram Jagtap
35 Shekhar Nikam
36 Sunil Tingre
37 Sunil Shelke
38 Yashwant Mane
39Rupali Chakankar
40Suraj chavan
41 Amol Mitkari
42 Aniket Tatkare
43Ananda Paranjape

Lok Sabha MP's of NCP

Sr No.Ajit PawarSr No.Sharad Pawar
1 Sunil Dattatray Tatkare 1 Supriya Sule
2 Amol Kolhe
3 Shriniwas Patil
4 Mohammed Faizal Padippura

Rajya Sabha MP's of NCP

Sr No.Ajit PawarSr No.Sharad Pawar
1 Praful Patel 1 Supriya Sule
2 Amol Kolhe
3 Shriniwas Patil
4 Mohammed Faizal Padippura

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharad Pawar</span> Indian politician (born 1940)

Sharadchandra Govindrao Pawar is an Indian politician. He served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for four terms and in the Union Council of Ministers as the Minister of Defence in the Cabinet of P.V. Narsimha Rao as well as the Minister of Agriculture in the Cabinet of Manmohan Singh. He is the first and former president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), "which he founded in 1999, after separating from the Indian National Congress". His faction of the NCP was split by his nephew, Ajit Pawar. He leads his faction of the NCP in the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of the Indian parliament. He is the chairperson of Maha Vikas Aghadi, a regional Maharashtra-based political alliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chhagan Bhujbal</span> Indian politician (born 1947)

Chhagan Bhujbal is an Indian politician from Maharashtra, who is the member of current Government of Maharashtra, headed by Eknath Shinde. Currently he is a member of 15th Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra from Yeola Assembly. He also served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1999 – December 2003 and 2009 - 2010. He earlier also served as Minister of Public Works Department and Minister of Home Affairs in Government of Maharashtra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nationalist Congress Party</span> Political party in India

The Nationalist Congress Party is one of the state parties in India and is one of the major political parties in Maharashtra with a recognised state party status in Nagaland and Kerala. The party has its presence in legislative assemblies of Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh, with being in the governing coalition in all of these states. Besides this, the party is also part of the current governing coalition National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayant Patil</span> Indian politician

Jayant Rajaram Patil is an Indian politician from the state of Maharashtra. He has been representing Islampur in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for more than three decades. He was the Cabinet minister of the Water Resources Department in Uddhav Thackeray ministry. Earlier, he served as the Rural Development Minister, the Finance Minister and the Home Minister of Maharashtra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajit Pawar</span> Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra (born 1959)

Ajit Ashatai Anantrao Pawar is an Indian politician serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra along with Eknath Shinde since 5 December 2024. He previously served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra under Shinde alongside Fadnavis from 2023 to 2024. He is the longest serving Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra non-consecutively.

Maharashtra is India's third largest state by area and has over 112 million inhabitants. Its capital, Mumbai, has a population of approximately 18 million; Nagpur is Maharashtra's second, or winter, capital. Government in the state is organized on the parliamentary system. Power is devolved to large city councils, district councils, subdistrict (taluka) councils, and village parish councils. The numerically strong Maratha–Kunbi community dominates the state's politics. The state has national and regional parties serving different demographics, such as those based on religion, caste, and urban and rural residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election</span>

The 2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election was held on 15 October 2014 to elect all 288 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. After a 63.38% turnout in the election as hung verdict has occurred with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shivsena (SHS) emerged as largest and second largest parties.

Although a parliamentary democracy, Indian politics has increasingly become dynastic, possibly due to the absence of a party organization, independent civil society associations that mobilize support for the party, and centralized financing of elections. Family members have also led the Congress party for most of the period since 1978 when Indira Gandhi floated the then Congress(I) faction of the party. It also is fairly common in many political parties in Maharashtra. The dynastic phenomenon is seen from national level down to district level and even village level.The three-tier structure of Panchayati Raj established in the 1960s also helped to create and consolidate the dynastic phenomenon in rural areas. Apart from government, political families also control cooperative institutions, mainly cooperative sugar factories, district cooperative banks in the state, and since the 1980s private for profit colleges. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party also features several senior leaders who are dynasts. In Maharashtra, the NCP has particularly high level of dynasticism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eknath Shinde</span> Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra since 2024 (born 1964)

Eknath Gangubai Sambhaji Shinde(pronunciation: [eknaːt̪ʰ ʃin̪d̪e]; born 9 February 1964) is an Indian politician who is serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra since December 2024 alongside Ajit Pawar. He is the chairperson of Shiv Sena since February 2023 and was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from June 2022 to December 2024. He is also the Member of Legislative Assembly for the Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency of Thane, Maharashtra, since 2009 and was formerly the MLA of Thane constituency from 2004 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election</span> Assembly election in Maharashtra

The 2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election was held on 21 October 2019 to elect all 288 members of the state's Legislative Assembly. After a 61.4% turnout in the election, the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena (SHS) won a majority. Following differences over the government formation, the alliance was dissolved, precipitating a political crisis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Maharashtra political crisis</span> Political crisis in the Indian state of Maharashtra

A political crisis in the Indian state of Maharashtra occurred on 21 October 2019 after the declaration of results of the 2019 legislative assembly election over the formation of a new state government. The incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party Shiv Sena alliance crossed the majority of 145 seats needed in the assembly by winning a total of 161 seats in the alliance. Individually BJP won 105 and SHS won 56 seats. The Opposition INC-NCP Alliance with 106 seats did not reach the majority mark. Individually INC won 44 and NCP won 54 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Fadnavis ministry</span> Cabinet of Maharashtra, India in 2019

Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra for the second time on 23 November 2019. Alongside Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister. Before a Supreme Court-ordered no confidence motion could take place, Pawar resigned on 26 November. Fadnavis resigned shortly thereafter, making his second ministry the shortest Maharashtra ministry, surpassing P. K. Sawant's 1963 interim government, that had lasted for nine days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maha Vikas Aghadi</span> Indian political alliance

The Maha Vikas Aghadi, is a state-level political alliance of centre to centre-left political parties in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is one of the two major political alliances in Maharashtra. The alliance was formed under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray of SHS (UBT), Sharad Pawar of the NCP(SP) and Sonia Gandhi of the INC, along with the support from the Samajwadi Party, PWPI, CPI(M) and several other political parties including Independent MLAs. MVA is currently the official opposition in Maharashtra Legislature. Most of the MVA constituents are members of the Indian National Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance at pan-India level. The MVA suffered a setback in 2024, when it could only win 50 seats in the assembly elections, with none of the parties even managing to get the number of seats to have a leader of opposition in the assembly. This stripped its status as the official opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election</span>

The 2024 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election was held on 20 November 2024 to elect all 288 members of the state's Legislative Assembly to elect 288 members of the 15th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The turnout for the election was 66.05%, the highest since 1995. The ruling Maha Yuti won a landslide victory winning 235 seats and none of the parties in the Maha Vikas Aghadi had sufficient seats to get the position of leader of opposition, the first time in six decades.

The 2022 Maharashtra political crisis began on 21 June 2022 in the Indian state of Maharashtra when Eknath Shinde, along with several other MLAs of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition moved to Surat in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-governed Gujarat, throwing the coalition into a crisis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">14th Maharashtra Assembly</span> Legislature of Maharashtra, India (2019–2024)

The Members of 14th Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra were elected in the 2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election, with results announced on 24 October 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shiv Sena (UBT)</span> Political party in Maharashtra, India

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) (IAST: Śiva Sēnā (Uddhava bāḷāsāhēba ṭhākare); lit. 'Army of Shivaji, led by Uddhav Thackeray'; abbr.SS (UBT)) is a Hindutva-based, Marathi regionalist, nationalist political party formed in 2022 under the leadership of former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar</span> Political party in India

The Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar or NCP–SP is a political party in India formed under the leadership of Sharadchandra Pawar. It was formed after Election Commission of India recognised the group led by Ajit Pawar as the original Nationalist Congress Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maha Yuti</span> Indian political alliance

The Maha Yuti, formed in 2014, is a political coalition in Maharashtra, India. Currently the alliance consists of three major parties - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party ― along with smaller partners such as Republican Party of India (Athawale), Rashtriya Samaj Paksha and many others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Fadnavis ministry</span> 32nd ministry of Maharashtra

Third Fadnavis ministry is formed on 5 December 2024 in Maharashtra. The ministry will consist of maximum 43 members. Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan has administered the oath and secrecy to Devendra Fadnavis, Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar at Azad Maidan, Mumbai.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "How Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party fell apart in 3 months". India Today. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Sharad Pawar was '50% ready' to join hands with BJP last year: Praful Patel". India Today. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  3. 1 2 "ECI rules Ajit Pawar faction is the real NCP". The Hindu. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Ajit faction 'real NCP': Maharashtra Speaker dismisses pleas for disqualification". The Indian Express. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  5. ↑ "Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)". Britannica. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  6. ↑ "Our Philosophy". Bharatiya Janata Party. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  7. ↑ "Sharad Pawar Was Ready To Join Hands With BJP Several Times, Nephew Ajit Opens All Cards". ABP News. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  8. ↑ "'Blatant lie,' says NCP (SP) after Praful Patel's statement that Sharad Pawar was 50% ready to join hands with BJP". The Economic Times. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  9. ↑ "Maharashtra Shake-Up Was A Long Time In The Making". NDTV. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Ajit 'Dada': 3 Reasons Why He's Indispensable for Sharad Pawar". The Quint. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "Praful Patel claims Sharad Pawar 'was 50% ready' to join hands with BJP in 2023". Hindustan Times. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  12. ↑ "'NCP had offered support to BJP in 2014, Sharad Pawar called it a strategy to keep Shiv Sena away,' claims Ajit Pawar". Business Today. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  13. ↑ "Maharashtra Politics: ED Investigating Prominent NCP Leaders Who Switched Sides With Ajit Pawar". Free Press Journal. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  14. ↑ "Some NCP leaders joined hands with BJP as they were threatened by agencies, says Sharad Pawar". The Times of India. 20 August 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  15. ↑ "Ajit Pawar says corruption allegations were to defame him, Sule reminds they were levelled by BJP and its leaders". The Indian Express. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  16. ↑ "Why Is Sharad Pawar Consistently Claiming There Is No Split in the NCP?". The Wire. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  17. ↑ "Election Commission Says Ajit Pawar Faction of the NCP is the 'Real' One, Gives It Party Symbol". The Wire. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  18. ↑ Deshpande, Abhinay (15 February 2024). "Ajit Pawar's faction is the real NCP: Maharashtra Speaker". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  19. ↑ "CM Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis meet Amit Shah; Konkan water issue, Marathwada grid project discussed". Indian Express. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  20. ↑ "Opposition meeting is being held in Nitish Kumar's House in Patna". Zee News. 30 June 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  21. ↑ "Sharad Pawar Loses EC Battle As Ajit-led Faction Recognised As Real NCP". News18 India . Retrieved 7 February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.