Tue Nov 26 08:55:21 UTC 2024: ## NCP Leaders Unite in Tribute to Maharashtra’s First Chief Minister Amidst Party Split
**MUMBAI, INDIA –** In a surprising show of unity amidst a deeply fractured Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), both Sharad Pawar and his nephew, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, separately paid their respects at the memorial of Maharashtra’s first chief minister, Y B Chavan, on Monday. The visit marked Chavan’s death anniversary.
The gesture comes just weeks after a significant split within the NCP, following Ajit Pawar’s alliance with the Eknath Shinde-led BJP government. This alliance resulted in a stark difference in electoral success, with Ajit Pawar’s faction securing 41 seats in the recent assembly elections, compared to Sharad Pawar’s faction which won only 10.
Sharad Pawar, who considers Chavan a mentor, visited the ‘Pritisangam’ memorial with his grandnephew, Rohit Pawar. Ajit Pawar made a separate visit to the memorial. While the leaders’ shared tribute to a revered figure offers a moment of unity, the underlying political tensions within the NCP remain palpable.
First Piper 