Sharad Pawar Talks About Ajit Pawar Camp MLAs Returning to NCP-SP

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 25: Amid speculations that some MLAs from Ajit Pawar’s camp want to return to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)-SP, Chief Sharad Pawar clarified that those who aimed to weaken the party would not be accepted back. However, MLAs who would not harm the party’s image might be considered after discussions with party leaders and workers.

Addressing the media in Mumbai, Sharad Pawar said, “Those who wanted to weaken the party would not be taken in. But those leaders who would help strengthen the organisation and not hurt the image of the party would be taken in.” He added that this would only happen after consulting with party leaders and workers.

Following the Ajit Pawar camp’s poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls, there is growing speculation that some MLAs from the camp are willing to return to the NCP-SP ahead of the state assembly polls. The NCP won only one of the four seats it contested, while the NCP-SP won eight of the ten seats it contested. The Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and the NCP, collectively won 17 seats in Maharashtra, with the BJP securing nine seats and the Shiv Sena seven.

Meanwhile, leaders from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP were reportedly upset over being offered the post of Minister of State (MoS) in the Modi 3.0 cabinet. NCP leader Praful Patel turned down the MoS position, considering it a demotion from his previous role as a Cabinet Minister in the Union Government during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Earlier, Ajit Pawar mentioned that his party is waiting for the BJP to change its offer to its ally.