Two years after a split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sharad Pawar and his estranged nephew Ajit Pawar were seen together at a family wedding in Mumbai on Sunday. The two were seen at the engagement of Sharad Pawar's grandnephew Yugendra Pawar with Tanishka Kulkarni.
Apart from the two leaders, other members of the Pawar family, including Supriya Sule and Rohit Pawar, also attended the engagement ceremony held at Kulkarni's residence in Mumbai. "Heartiest congratulations, Tanishka and Yugendra! Wishing you both a lifetime of love and happiness. Thank you to the Kulkarni family for the warm hospitality," said NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule, while posting photos of the engagement on 'X' (formerly known as Twitter).
The split in NCP
The split in NCP happened on July 2, 2023, after Ajit Pawar, who is currently the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, led a revolt against his uncle Sharad Pawar. Ajit later joined hands with the ruling alliance of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. Later, Ajit and other NCP leaders were sworn in as ministers in the state government.
The split led to a legal battle between the two factions over the party's name and symbol. On February 6, 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) recognised Ajit Pawar's faction as the real NCP and allotted them the clock symbol. Sharad Pawar's faction was given the name NCP-SP and allotted another symbol.
Pawar vs Pawar in 2024 Lok Sabha elections
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the first Pawar vs Pawar contest was seen in Baramati. Sharad Pawar's faction had fielded Supriya Sule, while the NCP had fielded Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar. Supriya had defeated Sunetra in the contest by more than 1.58 lakh votes.
Pawar vs Pawar in 2024 Maharashtra polls
In the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Baramati constituency witnessed another Pawar vs Pawar contest, with the NCP fielding Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar's faction fielded Yugendra Pawar. Ajit had won this time, defeating Yugendra with more than one lakh votes.
