Ajit Pawar’s Faction Leads in Maharashtra Assembly Battle as NCP Faces Off in Internal Struggle

The Maharashtra Assembly election battle has intensified with results emerging for the 288 seats. The Mahyuti coalition, consisting of BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is set to secure a decisive victory, according to early trends. As the results unfold, the NCP is locked in a battle for its legacy, with two competing factions—Ajit Pawar’s faction retaining the NCP name and symbol, while the Sharad Pawar faction contests under a new symbol.

The two factions are battling across 36 seats, especially in Maharashtra’s sugar belt, traditionally a stronghold for the NCP. Ajit Pawar’s faction is leading in several crucial seats, including the high-stakes Baramati constituency. Ajit Pawar is currently ahead by around 67,000 votes against his nephew Yugendra Pawar, a candidate from the Sharad Pawar faction. This marks a significant shift from the previous Lok Sabha elections, where the Sharad Pawar faction had won Baramati.

Other significant battles include Dattatraya Bharne of Ajit Pawar's camp leading by 15,000 votes over Harshvardhan Patil in Indapur, and NCP’s Chhagan Bhujbal, leading by over 11,000 votes against Manikrao Shinde in Yevla. As the counting progresses, Ajit Pawar’s faction continues to maintain a strong position in key constituencies, including Shrivardhan, Dindori, and Udgir, where they have secured comfortable victories over the NCP-SP faction.

The internal NCP struggle is playing out in several regions, with Ajit Pawar’s candidates leading in multiple constituencies. Despite the political rivalry, the results indicate that Ajit Pawar’s faction has gained significant ground, positioning itself as a strong force within the Mahyuti coalition and Maharashtra politics as a whole.