NCP to EC: No dispute within party, only ‘mischievous individuals’ have left
Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-led government in July, leading to a split in the party. Ajit Pawar later staked claim to the NCP.
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP on Saturday (September 9) told the Election Commission (EC) that there was no dispute in the party except that a few “mischievous individuals” have defected for personal ambitions.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) statement was a reference to the rebel group headed by now Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
The statement said the Election Commission had sought its response to a petition filed by Ajit Pawar and that it submitted its "preliminary response" on September 7.
"We have established the recurring contradictory stands of Ajit Pawar and how he has, without any legal or material basis, made a claim before the Election Commission," the NCP said.
"We have communicated to the Election Commission that there exists no dispute within the party and that except for a few mischievous individuals, who for their personal ambitions, have defected from the party," it said.
United NCP
It stressed that the organisation remains intact and overwhelmingly united behind party president Sharad Pawar.
Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-led government in July, leading to a split in the party. Ajit Pawar later staked claim to the NCP.