Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Jitendra Awhad on Saturday said the accusation levelled by a lawyer from the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the party that Sharad Pawar controlled the NCP as if it were his personal domain was like questioning the character of the party’s founder.
His statement comes a day after the Election Commission (EC) met the rival factions of the NCP, led by senior Pawar and his 64-year-old nephew, Ajit Pawar, over their claim to the party’s name and symbol.
It was in July that Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government, thus splitting the party. While Ajit Pawar was made the Deputy Chief Minister, the eight MLAs – including Chhagan Bhujbal and the NCP supremo’s close confidant Dilip Walse-Patil – were inducted as Ministers.
