Maha NCP Split: Let us see how the story unfolds, says Supriya Sule

Nationalist Congress Party leader and party supremo Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule has ruled out any personal dispute with Ajit Pawar, which could have triggered the split that saw the latter breaking ranks along with eight other MLAs and joining the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government. Briefing media persons after a meeting late Sunday, Sule said: "This is not a family party, this is an organisation. There is accountability here. We are accountable to the people of the state. I understand politics, Ajit Pawar is my brother and I will continue to respect him. We have to go back to the people. We are here to serve the state and country."

"This event has hurt us. All I can say is that Ajit Pawar is my elder brother. There's no issue between me and my brother. We know how to keep personal life and professional life apart. Let's see how this story unfolds," she said ruling out any discord with her cousin.

Asked about whether the NCP will seek the disqualification of MLAs who supported the NDA government in Maharashtra, Sule said, "Let's see what happens. It is very early."

Lashing out at the party, the NCP working president said, "Either you have NICE or you have ICE. ICE means Income Tax, CBI & ED. NICE means NCB, I-T, CBI & ED. BJP uses NICE and ICE to harass their political opponents." 

In a significant turn of events on July 2, Ajit Pawar took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, while eight leaders who sided with him were appointed as ministers in the Shiv Sena-BJP government. The NCP supporters expressed their discontent by smearing black ink on the posters of party leaders who joined the NDA government, in response to Ajit's actions.

Media reports indicate that Ajit claims the support of more than 40 NCP MLAs and six members of the Legislative Council, despite the NCP having 53 MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly. In response to the recent developments, Sharad Pawar criticized the newly promoted NCP leaders, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, accusing them of deviating from the party's principles and taking an erroneous path. The 82-year-old leader expressed his intention to take disciplinary action against those involved in Ajit's coup.

Sharad Pawar further pledged to rebuild the party from scratch, opting to seek support from the people rather than resorting to legal battles. He also affirmed that the NCP's alliance with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Congress, known as the Maha Vikas Aghadi, will persist. In a show of solidarity, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi reached out to Sharad Pawar to offer their support in the wake of the unexpected revolt. Additionally, the Congress scheduled a meeting with its legislators on Tuesday, seemingly aiming to maintain unity within their ranks.