Everyone knows who founded the NCP, says Sharad Pawar

The NCP patriarch founded his party in 1999 when he split the Congress. On July 2 this year, his nephew Ajit Pawar split the NCP by aligning himself and other senior leaders with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government led by CM Eknath Shinde

NCP chief Sharad Pawar. File | Photo Credit: ANI

Everybody knows who founded the Nationalist Congress Party, president of the NCP Sharad Pawar said on Sunday. Mr. Pawar said he would be present in Delhi on October 6 during the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) hearing on the split within the NCP.

“Everyone in Maharashtra and people outside the State know very well who founded the NCP. I have been roaming across Maharashtra. Common people have a clear view about this issue [schism within NCP]. Ultimately, it is important what the people think,” Mr. Pawar said.

Pawar split Congress

The NCP patriarch founded his party in 1999 when he split the Congress. On July 2 this year, his nephew Ajit Pawar split the NCP by aligning himself and other senior leaders with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government led by CM Eknath Shinde.

Since then, a struggle for supremacy has ensued within the NCP with the rebel faction led by Ajit Pawar staking claim to the party name and symbol before the ECI.

Mr. Pawar said: “Those who have joined hands with the BJP cannot belong to the NCP. We do not accept compromise of this kind.”

The day after Ajit Pawar’s rebellion on July 2, the Sharad Pawar group had moved a disqualification petition against nine MLAs who were sworn in as ministers.

Since then, the Sharad Pawar camp has filed petitions to disqualify the rebel legislators from the Maharashtra Legislative Council as well, while the Ajit Pawar-led faction has filed counter-petitions seeking disqualification of MLAs loyal to the Sharad Pawar group from the Assembly.

BJP rules for the elite

Later, addressing an Adivasi Rights conclave in Junnar, Mr. Pawar condemned the BJP government at the Centre and State.

“The BJP only rules for the benefit of a handful of people while ignoring Adivasis, Dalits, farmers and minorities. The BJP derisively refers to Adivasis as ‘Vanvasis’ [forest dwellers] despite them being the original inhabitants of this land,” said Mr. Pawar, adding that the Adivasis were being deprived of basic amenities like education, electricity and water.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Baramati MP Supriya Sule said that as the NCP was founded by Mr. Pawar, it was obvious that the symbol should remain with him.

“There is no fight in the NCP... The party was established by Sharad Pawar 25 years ago... From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, everyone knows that the NCP means Sharad Pawar. There is no question of it (the symbol) going away,” said Ms. Sule, speaking in Nagpur.