2023 Nationalist Congress Party split

The 2023 Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) split occurred on 2 July 2023, when Ajit Pawar and several senior party leaders broke away from the NCP — led by his uncle Sharad Pawar — and joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)–Shiv Sena alliance in Maharashtra. Ajit Pawar took the oath as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and eight other NCP leaders were inducted as ministers. This led to a formal split within the party, resulting in two factions: one led by Sharad Pawar and the other by Ajit Pawar.

The split triggered a legal dispute over the party's name and its election symbol. On 6 February 2024, the Election Commission of India recognized the Ajit Pawar‑led faction as the official NCP and allotted it the party's name and symbol. The faction led by Sharad Pawar was subsequently referred to as the Sharad Pawar faction.

On 5 March 2024, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar declared Ajit Pawar's group the official NCP, citing its majority in the legislature.

Ajit Pawar supported allying with the NCP's traditional opponent, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a move that Sharad Pawar publicly opposed. The NCP is commonly characterized as a centrist, secular, and inclusive political party, with a focus on social justice, federalism, and the welfare of farmers and marginalized communities. By contrast, the BJP is generally described as right‑leaning political party, emphasizing nationalism, Hindu cultural values, and economic liberalization. Ajit Pawar claimed that Sharad Pawar had previously considered forming an alliance with the BJP and that a number of NCP leaders were also in favor of aligning with the ruling party in Maharashtra. This ideological conflict prompted Ajit Pawar and his supporters to break away from the party.

The split was driven by ideological differences, political ambitions, and strategic disagreements. Ajit Pawar, who led the breakaway faction, cited the need for a different political alliance as the primary reason. Supriya Sule, a senior leader in the Sharad Pawar‑led faction, stated that the split was the result of ideological differences within the party and was not connected to personal disputes within the Pawar family.

Ajit Pawar's ambition to secure a higher political position was also a contributing factor to the split. Despite being a prominent leader within the NCP, he had long aspired to become Chief Minister of Maharashtra. However, he was unable to attain that position through alliances with parties like the Indian National Congress and Shiv Sena. Some observers suggest that Ajit Pawar believed Sharad Pawar's focus on promoting his daughter, Supriya Sule, limited his own prospects in the party. By aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Eknath Shinde–led Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar sought to expand his political influence and secure a significant role in the state government.

Ajit Pawar had also stated that Sharad Pawar had sent him to negotiate an alliance with the BJP on multiple occasions, only to withdraw later, placing him in a difficult position. He said that, in private, Sharad Pawar was open to allying with the BJP, but publicly opposed it, which he argued created uncertainty within the party. Ajit Pawar took the oath as Deputy Chief Minister with the BJP in November 2019, but resigned soon after Sharad Pawar changed his stance.

Internal dissent within the NCP was further fueled by differing views on the party's future direction and alliances. While Sharad Pawar and his allies preferred to maintain the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) arrangement, Ajit Pawar and his supporters argued that a new alignment with the BJP would better serve their political goals and the party's influence in Maharashtra.