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Saturday, January 3, 2026
TopicNCP

Topic: NCP

The NCP or Nationalist Congress Party was founded in 1999 by Sharad Pawar after he quit the Indian National Congress (INC) along with Purno Sangma and Tariq Anwar. While the NCP started as a national party with values of ‘Gandhian secularism’ and ‘progressive and modern progress’, its biggest electoral success has been in Maharashtra, Pawar’s home state. In 2023, the Election Commission withdrew the party’s status as a ‘national party’ as the NCP could no longer meet the criteria of such a designation.

As of 2024, the party is split into two factions — one led by founder Sharad Pawar and another by his nephew Ajit Pawar. The faction led by Ajit is in power in Maharashtra along with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde). This faction today is knonw as the Nationalist Congress Party, having been granted the original party name and symbol by the Supreme Court. The other faction is called the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). Other important leaders include Jayant Patil, Supriya Sule, and Rajesh Tope.

‘Main tere upar action lunga’: A viral phone call to woman IPS puts Dy CM Ajit Pawar on backfoot

Purva Chitnis -
While NCP has called this 'Ajit Dada's style', the deputy CM has since said that his 'intention was not to interfere with law enforcement but to ensure that situation remained calm'.

Rohit Pawar shares video of BJP minister Meghana Bordikar threatening to slap village official

PTI -
The NCP MLA in a post on X criticised Bordikar stating 'the dignity of Maharashtra is being compromised'. CM Fadnavis, however, downplayed the incident.

Farmers’ crosshairs to ‘rummy’ row, NCP’s Kokate loses agri ministry after string of controversies

Purva Chitnis -
NCP had elevated Manikrao Kokate to council of ministers as counterweight to Bhujbal. After the latest row, he has now been given the sports portfolio.

Former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse’s ex-son-in-law & 6 others detained after raid at Pune party

PTI -
NCP (SP) leader Khadse said a probe should be conducted to find out if there was a political motive behind the police action after a raid based on a tip-off about a 'rave party'.

Why Ajit Pawar’s cornered over Manikrao Kokate, NCP’s trouble-maker minister who’s always dodged the rap

Manasi Phadke -
Kokate had held a press conference where he denied playing rummy in the house, but while he tried to put out one fire, he started another that has put Ajit Pawar's NCP in quite a spot.

Amid reports of NCP(SP) Maha chief Jayant Patil’s resignation, party to hold meeting on 15 July

PTI -
According to reports in the media, NCP (SP) Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil has resigned from the post & party MLC Shashikant Shinde will take over from him.

Why Ajit Pawar returned to cooperative politics, making a routine sugar mill poll a high-stakes battle

Manasi Phadke -
The poll this time was a high-decibel, high stakes quadrangular contest, between two panels backed by two Pawars, their traditional rival Taware and a panel of Independents.

‘BMC a centre for corruption’: Cong MP Gaikwad seeks white paper on BMC under Mahayuti govt

PTI -
Congress MP and Mumbai party unit chief Varsha Gaikwad alleges that BMC funds are being used like party funds and are given to middlemen, contractors.

Nagaland CM Rio gains absolute majority as all 7 NCP MLAs merge with ruling NDPP

PTI -
With this merger, NDPP's tally in assembly increased from 25 to 32. NCP emerged as third-largest party in 2023 assembly elections, after NDPP and ally BJP, which won 12 seats.

Is a Pawar reunion on the cards? What the two NCPs are thinking

Purva Chitnis -
Hopes of the factions joining hands were raised after frequent meetings between Sharad & Ajit Pawar. Rohit Pawar says it’ll be an ‘emotional decision’.
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