In major setback after poll drubbing, 4 top leaders quit Ajit Pawar's party

Following a dismal showing in the most recent Lok Sabha elections, four senior leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Pimpri Chinchwad, Maharashtra, have resigned, dealing a serious blow to the party led by Ajit Pawar.

Later this week, they're probably going to join Sharad Pawar's party. Chief of NCP's Pimpri-Chinchwad unit Ajit Gavhane is one of the people who gave their resignations to Ajit Pawar. The others are Rahul Bhosale and Pankaj Bhalekar, two former corporators, and Yash Sane, the chief of the Pimpri Chinchwad Students' Wing.

There are rumours that some Ajit Pawar camp leaders are open to joining Sharad Pawar's team, which is why the resignations have occurred. Last month, Sharad Pawar declared that while he would accept leaders who would not "hurt" the party's reputation, he would not accept anyone who wished to "weaken" his party.

"Those who wanted to weaken the party would not be taken in. But those leaders who would help strengthen the organization and not hurt the image of the party would be taken in," he had said, NDTV reported.

Following Ajit Pawar's rebellion in 2023 against his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar, the Pawar family separated into two political groups.

Ajit Pawar joined the Mahayuti government headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and was rewarded with the position of his deputy, while Sharad Pawar stayed in the opposition camp.

As a member of the BJP-led NDA, Ajit Pawar's party ran in the Lok Sabha elections but was only able to win one seat, Raigad, while his uncle's party won eight.