Sharad Pawar and nephew Ajit arrange the pieces as rival NCP groups prepare for EC battle

Since July 2, the Sharad Pawar group has maintained there is no split in the party. In an interview to The Indian Express last month, the NCP’s Lok Sabha MP from Baramati, Supriya Sule, who is Sharad Pawar’s daughter, stressed there was only an “emotional split”.

While the Ajit Pawar group has staked claim over the party name and symbol, the rival group, in its reply to the EC, asked it not to entertain the Ajit group’s petition and staked claim to the party name and symbol. It said if the petition was allowed, in the future, any member of any party could file a “frivolous” petition.

Though the Pawar group maintains there is no split in the party, on July 2 it filed disqualification petitions against nine NCP MLAs who have become ministers in the Maharashtra government, including Ajit. Since then, it has served disqualification notices to a total of 41 MLAs with Ajit. The Pawar group has also served disqualification notices to MLCs Satish Chavan, Vikram Kale, Aniket Tatkare, Amol Mitkari, and Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar.

With the EC hearing date approaching, the Ajit group last week served disqualification notices to nine MLAs in the Pawar camp as well as MLCs Eknath Khadse, Shashikant Shinde, and Arun Lad. Three MLAs have not been served notice by either group. They are — Ashok Pawar, Sumantai Patil, and Nawab Malik.

“We believe and everyone knows that Sharad Pawar is the real NCP. The same will be argued in front of the EC,” said NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad.

Despite the ongoing legal battle, the frequent meetings between the Pawars and top leaders of both sides have raised questions over the genuineness of the conflict. There have been instances of rebel NCP leaders meeting Sharad Pawar. Ajit himself, along with others, met the party founder twice. The two also met secretly at the house of a builder in Pune a month ago. While the Ajit group still recognises Sharad Pawar as its leader, the latter has asked the rebels not to use his photograph.

Last week, Pawar and the Ajit group’s seniormost leader Praful Patel had a photo clicked together in the new Parliament building. Maharashtra’s Cooperation Minister and former trusted aide of Sharad Pawar, Dilip Walse-Patil, was part of the meeting with the NCP chief in Pune. Videos of the meeting showed the duo exchanging greetings.

Both sides have undertaken statewide tour programmes, with Pawar announcing he is rebuilding his party. At a press conference in Aurangabad last month, when asked how many MLAs were with him, he smilingly replied, “Zero.” He has already held four public rallies in different parts of the state and further programmes will be announced soon.

The Ajit group too has been trying to undertake organisational restructuring by appointing new office-bearers. It tried to replicate Pawar’s style by organising public rallies in Beed and Kolhapur where he had earlier addressed people. “We are not copying anyone. We are doing our work to grow and expand,” said Sunil Tatkare.