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Thursday, December 4, 2025
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.

‘Sidelined’ by Congress, under lens for ‘cross voting’, MLA Zeeshan Siddique attends Ajit Pawar yatra

Purva Chitnis -
Zeeshan, whose father left Congress to join Ajit Pawar's NCP, says he doesn't plan to join the rival party, but analysts point out he's afraid he'll be denied a ticket in assembly polls.

Ajit Pawar seeks to retain NCP’s ‘original’ vote bank, tells voters he hasn’t given up ‘secular’ ideology

Purva Chitnis -
After having won just 1 seat in this year’s LS polls, the Maharashtra Deputy CM, in his speeches at ongoing Jan Sanman Yatra, has been invoking the 'Shiv-Phule-Shahu-Ambedkar' ideology.

‘Not keen in contesting elections’: Ajit Pawar says NCP to decide if his son will contest from Baramati

PTI -
If the parliamentary board and ‘people’ felt that Jay should be fielded, the NCP was ready to field him, Ajit Pawar said.

Criticising Supriya Sule, woman leader who once ‘rescued’ MLAs from hotel quits NCP (SP) for Congress

Sushil Manav -
Haryana leader Sonia Doohan, formerly NCP (SP)'s national youth wing president, says she decided to quit party in May over differences with working president Supriya Sule.

Multiple parties, trust deficit: Why ‘meet and greets’ are making waves in Maharashtra politics

Manasi Phadke -
From Fadnavis and Uddhav's elevator ride together, 2 Congress MLAs meeting Mahayuti leaders, to a least 3 of Ajit Pawar camp meeting Sharad Pawar, every encounter is raising eyebrows.

Shinde or no Shinde? Rumblings in Mahayuti over CM face as poll prep picks up pace

Purva Chitnis -
Constituents of ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra are in agreement over going into assembly polls under Shinde's leadership, but not on whether to project him as alliance's CM face.

Ajit Pawar’s NCP ropes in strategy firm, plans door-to-door campaign in bid to stage comeback

Purva Chitnis -
NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar, which failed miserably in Maharashtra in Lok Sabha polls, is eyeing a 70% strike rate in assembly polls where it will be up against a resurgent MVA.

Lok Sabha front won, Sharad Pawar reaches Baramati twice in 2 weeks for pitched Maharashtra battle

Purva Chitnis -
One of the challenges for veteran leader is finding a candidate who can challenge his nephew Ajit, a seven-time MLA, in Baramati.

19-year-old killed in road accident in Pune, NCP MLA’s nephew arrested

ANI -
Mayur Sahebrao Mohite, the nephew of NCP MLA from Khed Dilip Mohite Patil, arrested in connection with the accident as it was his vehicle that allegedly collided with victim's bike.

Our take on BJP-NCP strife, RSS remarks on BJP, and NEET scam—in 50 words

ThePrint Team -
ThePrint view on the most important issues this week.
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