Mumbai: Twenty-five years after he formed the Nationalist Congress Party, the original rebel and party founder Sharad Pawar is contending with a challenger to his legacy. For the first time, there were two separate flag hoisting ceremonies and two separate functions of two NCPs — formed after the split in July 2023 — both different in their tones.

The function of the Sharad Pawar faction was celebratory following a thumping Lok Sabha victory after almost being written off following a split in the party, while Ajit Pawar sought to enthuse some energy and belief in party workers after a debilitating defeat. 

But in less than a year on, the wily 83-year-old Maratha strongman has yet again emerged as the quintessential astute politician, guiding his party and the INDIA allies to a thumping result in Maharashtra. The Sharad Pawar faction contested 10 parliamentary seats and won 8, whereas Ajit Pawar contested 4 seats and won only 1.

Two celebrations

While the Ajit Pawar faction celebrated the foundation day in Mumbai’s Shanmukhanand Hall with his workers, the Sharad Pawar faction conducted the programme in Pune and then addressed a rally in Ahmednagar in the evening.

Buoyed by the success of Lok Sabha elections, Pawar told his workers to get ready for the upcoming Maharashtra election due later this year. 

“In the last 25 years, we worked towards spreading the party’s ideology and we will take the party ahead with all our might,” the NCP founder said. “Now it is mine and yours collective responsibility to work and aim for the state elections so that after the poll results, power will be in your hands. We will ensure the use of power will be for the common people and those who are marginalised.” 

At a rally in the evening at Ahmednagar, Sharad Pawar taunted PM Narendra Modi on his ‘bhatakti aatma (wandering soul)’ remark he made during the campaign.

“Modi had called me ‘bhatakti aatma’. In a way, in his language, aatma is always around. So this wandering soul will always be around to haunt you,” the senior Pawar said.

On the other hand, Ajit Pawar — who was not given cabinet berth in the NDA government and instead asked to take a junior ministry position — also tried to enthuse the workers on his side.

“The opposition is trying to capture the narrative by saying that the Constitution will be changed but that is not true. In fact if you see, Nitish Kumar and Chandra Babu Naidu also said that the NDA will complete 5 years but the opposition will try to say otherwise. They will say anything; don’t fall for it.”

At Mumbai’s Shanmukhanand Hall, Ajit Pawar told his workers that the Delhi leadership assured him that either by July end or 15 August, there would be a representation of NCP in the Union cabinet.

“The NDA government will complete its 5-year term. The Opposition is trying to spread rumours; don’t believe them. We will get representation in the cabinet, I have been told.. so we all are together and we need to stay as the NCP family.” 

He also recalled the contribution of Sharad Pawar where he thanked him for his contribution in 24 years.

“Sharad Pawar set up NCP 25 years ago (after he rebelled) over the nationality of Sonia Gandhi. I am thankful to him for leading the party and providing powerful leadership to the organisation,” Ajit Pawar said.

The Maharashtra deputy chief minister reiterated that his party’s ideology would remain fixed on the teachings of Mahatma Phule, B.R. Ambedkar and Shahu Maharaj unlike whatsoever the opposition claimed. “They spread false propaganda around the change in the Constitution. That won’t happen ever, and we won’t change either. So don’t fall for their falsehood.”

Also Read: Smarting from Lok Sabha debacle, Ajit Pawar’s NCP keen to prove its mettle in Maharashtra polls

Sharad Pawar’s journey

One of the tallest leaders in India, Sharad Pawar’s political career took flight after he became the MLA from Baramati at the age of 27 in 1967. He then went to win by a higher margin in 1972 as he made agrarian distress his election plank.

Rebellion is not new to him. In 1978, he led a rebellion of 38 Congress MLAs to topple the Vasantdada Patil government and became the youngest chief minister of Maharashtra after entering into a coalition with the Janata Party. Pawar returned to the Congress fold in 1987 and went on to become chief minister thrice in different periods.

In 1999, he parted ways with the Congress and formed the NCP, only to ally with the party in the assembly elections that year and ruled Maharashtra for the next 15 years in coalition.

Pawar, while speaking to ThePrint in April, had said that although he had broken away from the Congress to form the NCP, his “ideology has always been that of Gandhi-Nehru-Ambedkar. And that is why it is natural for me to ally with Congress and remain with MVA.”

NCP functionaries close to Pawar say his style of politics is “knowing where the opportunities are and acting swiftly on them.” “He is not new to rebellions. Even in the past he has led some, faced some. In fact, the way he led from the front during the Lok Sabha elections, the result is for everyone to see. His energy is unmatched,” said one of them.

Pawar is not someone who would keep worrying about a crisis, said another functionary from the party.

“Even in the face of revolt by Ajit Pawar, he gave hope and assurance to many workers and functionaries like me that the party’s face is now Sharad Pawar. If you remember that press conference where he put up his hand when asked who is the face of the party now; that gesture told us that we are ready to fight and the result is seen in the elections. We are hopeful, we will repeat a similar performance during assembly elections as well,” the functionary said.

In terms of ideological matters, both Sharad and Ajit Pawar are similar, said political analyst Abhay Deshpande to ThePrint. 

“However, in the style of functioning, Ajit Pawar is more aggressive and straightforward while Sharad Pawar is more balanced and would strategise for next 10-15 years,” Deshpande said. 

“Sharad Pawar grooms the second rank leadership, like R.R .Patil, Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal that we get seen where as for Ajit Pawar it is more like a one-man show.” 

Going forward, both factions have their own challenges. For Pawar, the question on succession is still not resolved. While he has indicated his daughter Supriya Sule to be his successor, there are questions over whether she can emulate her father to ensure the party bounces back like the way it did in this year’s Lok Sabha elections.

Now since the fight was directly between Sharad and Ajit Pawar, the nephew lost but he is more like a state leader and has seen the state-level politics. “So, if the fight would have been between Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar, things would have been different,” Deshpande said. 

“Sharad Pawar is grooming Rohit Pawar, Amol Kolhe, Lanke, and others. After all, he has to make a team ready for Supriya Sule because currently the second rank leaders are with Ajit Pawar.”  

For Ajit Pawar, the immediate challenge will be to get a respectable figure in the seat sharing formula for the upcoming assembly election. They also need to analyse the Lok Sabha results and how and where things could be improved.

Keeping the flock together will be a big challenge considering the dismal Lok Sabha performance and if Ajit Pawar does not get a good pie in the seat sharing formula, many MLAs will want to return to the senior Pawar.

(Edited by Tony Rai)

Also Read: With Sharad Pawar as master strategist, how MVA dealt blow to BJP in crucial western Maharashtra