NCP's Goa unit pledges support to Sharad Pawar after mutiny in party

In the wake of the political developments in Maharashtra that led to a vertical split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), its Goa unit on Monday pledged support for party chief Sharad Pawar.

Talking to PTI, the party's state unit president Jose Philip D'Souza said the entire unit of Goa is strongly behind Sharad Pawar and will not break away from the NCP.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Sunday led a vertical split in the party to become the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, shocking his uncle Sharad Pawar, who founded the party 24 years ago.

Eight NCP leaders were also sworn in as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

The entire unit has faith in Sharad Pawar's capabilities to rebuild the party even after such moves by some leaders, D'Souza said.

We have seen him do it some 15 years ago when a similar incident had happened, he said.

D'Souza further said he will hold a meeting of his unit later in the day to discuss the political developments in Maharashtra.