Never expected it when party was founded in 1999: Pawar on NCP split

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said they never thought the Nationalist Congress Party, co-founded by him 26 years ago, would suffer a split and appreciated workers of his outfit for taking it ahead despite challenges.

Pawar was speaking here at an event marking the 26th foundation day of the NCP, which split in 2023.

"...the party faced some challenges, but you, without getting discouraged, continue to take the party ahead. A split took place in the party. We never thought that a split would take place in the party but it happened," he said.

"Some people went with other ideologies and this split widened. I do not want to talk about it today. But those who remained loyal to the party, it was because of our party's ideology," Pawar said.

A different picture will prevail in the coming elections, he added.

The NCP split in July 2023 after Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar joined the then Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government.

The party name and its clock symbol was given to the Ajit Pawar faction, while the one headed by the former Union agriculture minister was christened NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).