No spilt in NCP, asserts Sharad Pawar

Sharad Pawar, who is a Rajya Sabha member, admitted that some leaders from his party - the NCP - have taken a different stance but asserted that it cannot be termed as a split.

Baramati (Maharashtra):Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar reiterated that there is no split in the party founded by him and some leaders, including his nephew Ajit Pawar, have taken a different stance.

"There is no conflict that he (Ajit Pawar) is our leader, there is no split in NCP. How does a split happen in a party? It happens when a big group separates from the party at the national level. But there is no such situation in NCP today," the 82-year-old former Union Defence Minister and former Maharashtra Chief Minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The veteran leader, who is a Rajya Sabha member, admitted that some leaders from his party have taken a different stance but asserted that it cannot be termed as a split.

"Yes, some leaders took a different stance but this can't be called a split. They can do so in a democracy," Sharad Pawar added. Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule, who is an MP representing the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, had also said that there was no split in the NCP, which was founded in 1999.

Ajit Pawar, now the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister had orchestrated a coup in the NCP, the party founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar, after he joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena BJP government in Maharashtra. Eight other "now-sacked" NCP MLAs including Chaggan Bhujabl, Hasan Mushrif, Dilip Walse Patil, and Aditi Tatkare were sworn in as Ministers.

Sharad Pawar's close aid and former Union Minister Praful Patel, senior leader Sunil Tatkare had joined the Ajit Pawar camp following his decision. Since Ajit Pawar's rebellion, the senior Pawar has been touring Maharashtra, seeking support from party workers.