What next for Sharad Pawar after Ajit wins the battle of NCP, takes the bragging rights

Despite the efforts and the precocious expectations, the deficiency of wide entreaty successful the second-rank enactment of the NCP (SP) and the caste consolidation of anti-Maratha preservation groups led to his party’s rout arsenic it ended astatine the bottommost of the heap — the sixth among the six large parties — winning lone 10 of the 86 seats it contested. On Friday, the erstwhile Union Agriculture Minister had assured his supporters that the MVA would triumph 157-162 seats.

The 2 NCPs squared disconnected against each different successful 36 constituencies, with the NCP winning 29, including the Pawar clan turf of Baramati, and Pawar’s outfit managing to container lone 7. Ajit Pawar’s enactment contested 59 seats and won 41, riding precocious connected the popularity of the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana and respective different payment schemes of the authorities government. The consolidation of non-Maratha communities, which seems to person wounded the NCP (SP), did not impact the NCP due to the fact that of its confederation with the BJP.

“This is for the archetypal clip that helium has not faced the media connected an predetermination effect day,” a elder workfellow of Pawar told The Indian Express, hinting that the enactment was reeling from daze astir the results. A jubilant Ajit Pawar, however, refused to comment, saying this was not the clip to speech astir his win. When asked if determination is simply a anticipation of a merger betwixt the 2 sides, Ajit said, “Right now, I person respective issues of excavation to beryllium sorted out. Let maine bash that first. After that, I volition look into different issues.”

When Ajit chose to articulation hands with the BJP past year, it divided the party. At a clip erstwhile respective MLAs were leaving his broadside and helium was asked who would basal by him, Pawar raised his digit indicating helium would basal unsocial if needed. Throughout his governmental career, the seasoned faced respective governmental adversities. After the Lok Sabha polls results, each eyes were acceptable connected him and determination was an anticipation of a repetition successful the Assembly polls. But that did not travel to pass.

While cipher from the NCP (SP) chose to marque a nationalist remark connected the defeat, the enactment present stares astatine the Herculean task of regaining the mislaid momentum and rebuilding the organisation from scratch. “We virtually person zero beingness successful the Assembly now. The existent combat volition person to beryllium connected the streets and among people. That’s the lone mode guardant for us,” said 1 NCP (SP) leader. There is besides a question astir the governmental aboriginal of Pawar, who had hinted days earlier the polls that this could beryllium his past election.

When addressing a property league on with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and chap Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, the CM jokingly poked Ajit Pawar and said, “Now, the radical of Maharashtra person shown who is the existent NCP.” To this, Ajit replied, “And the existent Shiv Sena, too.”

Even though the Pawars publically said the bitterness successful authorities would not impact the family, the run by Pawar’s woman Pratibha Pawar against Ajit seems to person wounded him. When asked astir this, the Deputy CM said, “Yes, I was hurt. I see her arsenic my parent and ne'er imagined that she would run against me. I don’t privation to remark connected it further.”