Ajit Pawar's Appointment As NCP Chief "Illegal": Sharad Pawar's Faction To Poll Panel: Sources

Sharad Pawar's faction in August had said the same thing; Mr Pawar, 82, said "a few" had left to "take a different political stance (but) this does not constitute a split".

The appointment of Ajit Pawar as the Nationalist Congress Party's National President is "illegal", the Sharad Pawar-led faction fumed Friday in its reply to the Election Commission of India.

Sources said the Sharad Pawar faction also stressed "there is no split in the NCP", which was divided this year after the nephew rebelled against the uncle and joined hands with a rebel faction of the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party. Ajit Pawar, 63, was restored as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister.

NCP boss Sharad Pawar's faction underlined its August statement on this issue; in which Mr Pawar, 82, said "a few" had left to "take a different political stance (but) this does not constitute a split".