NCP(SP)'s Rohit Pawar Claims Cracks In Mahayuti Alliance, Expects Exodus Of Nearly 20 MLAs From Ajit Pawar Faction

This statement has sparked speculations about the alliance's stability, which includes the BJP.

Updated on: 18 June 2024 1:37 pm

Rohit Pawar addresses Mill workers Photo: PTI

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) leader Rohit Pawar has claimed cracks have surfaced within the ruling Mahayuti alliance and he suggested that nearly 20 MLAs from Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s faction could join SP faction soon after the upcoming monsoon session of the state legislature.

This development has sparked speculations about the alliance's stability, which includes the BJP.

What Did Rohit Pawar Say?

The grand-nephew of NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar told reporters, "Many legislators have told us that they will quit NCP after the budget session and after govt releases funds for their constituencies because if they take the decision before the monsoon session, it would be difficult to face Ajit Pawar."

Earlier, Rohit Pawar had made a similar statement, but Ajit Pawar and state NCP president Sunil Tatkare dismissed his claim, calling it 'baseless and false'.

#WATCH | NCP-SCP leader Rohit Pawar says, "We have been saying this since the start, that 18-19 (NCP MLAs) are in touch with us... We will decide once the monsoon session concludes." pic.twitter.com/3evyz1nuBj
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024

Regarding the distribution of seats for the assembly elections, Pawar mentioned that during the Lok Sabha polls, NCP (SP) allocated more seats to Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT).

Now, NCP (SP) expects these allies to reciprocate by offering more seats to Sharad Pawar's NCP in return.

"But final decision on allotment of seats will be taken by the high command of three parties," he reportedly said.

Rohit Pawar further spoke on the matter of EVMs being hacked during the Lok sabha polls and requested Eelction Commission and Centre to clear the air for the citizens of the country.

According to TOI, Pawar said, "Elon Musk is an expert in AI; his statement on EVM hacking has created confusion in the minds of people."

We expect ECI to clear the confusion," he added.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar | - Getty Images

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There are tensions within the Mahayuti alliance, which includes BJP, Shiv Sena (led by Eknath Shinde), and NCP (led by Ajit Pawar), and is part of the larger NDA alliance. This comes after a relatively poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The NDA secured 17 seats out of 47 in the state, while the INDIA bloc won 30 seats. Now, the alliance is facing a major challenge ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Earlier, the united NCP had won 54 assembly seats in the 2019 elections. When the party split in July 2023, the faction led by Ajit Pawar claimed support from about 40 MLAs.

Recently, Shiv Sena-UBT’s Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar firmly stated their opposition to accepting rebels back into the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, particularly referring to Ajit Pawar.