‘Party and family split’: Supriya Sule confirms split within NCP

Mumbai: After Ajit Pawar joined hands with BJP to form a government in Maharashtra, NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule on Saturday confirmed that the party has split.

Sule has put up a story on Whatsapp which states that “party and family split”. Her office has also confirmed the same.

While BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra for the second consecutive term after a month-long uncertainty over government formation in the state. Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar has backstabbed his uncle by joining hands with the BJP and took oath as deputy chief minister of the state.

In what can be termed as a big jolt to the efforts taken by Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP to forge an alliance to form government in Maharashtra.

The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party, could not stake claim to form a government as its ally Shiv Sena remained firm on rotating the Chief Minister’s post and equal sharing of Cabinet berths.

Shiv Sena parted its ways with BJP to explore ways to form a government. It, however, failed to prove the support of the required number of MLAs in the time given by state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

The Governor had then invited NCP, the third-largest party, to prove its ability to form the government failing which President’s Rule was imposed in the state.

The BJP won 105 seats in the 288-member assembly followed by Shiv Sena 56, NCP 54 and Congress 44.