NCP leaders had hint of BJP's intention to break party, but were unaware of Ajit Pawar's move: Rohit Pawar

Rohit Pawar said he is firmly with NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar with party MLA Rohit Pawar speaks during a press conference at his residence, in Pune, Sunday, July 2, 2023. Credit: PTI Photo

Describing the chain of events within the NCP and Maharashtra politics as an “emotional moment”, NCP MLA Rohit Pawar said the party leaders were aware of BJP’s “intentions” but were clueless about the movements of Ajit Pawar.

Rohit (37), who is an MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed seat in Ahmednagar district, is the nephew of Ajit Pawar and grandnephew of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

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Considered close to senior Pawar, Rohit is also the President of Maharashtra Cricket Association and former President of Indian Sugar Mills Association.

“I am very emotional at this stage… he (Ajit Pawar) is my ‘kaka’… he has helped me a lot… I would not like to comment on what had happened,” he said when asked about Ajit Pawar walking out to the BJP-camp to become the Deputy Chief Minister.

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"We had no clue of him (Ajit Pawar) joining hands with the BJP. But the BJP was keen on breaking the NCP. We knew this much… however, going by all these developments, we wonder whether people like me made a mistake by joining politics,” he said.

On Sunday, Ajit Pawar led a vertical split in the NCP to become the deputy chief minister, shocking his uncle Sharad Pawar, who founded the party 24 years ago.

Eight NCP leaders were also sworn in as ministers in the Eknath Shinde-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.