Kerala unit of NCP stands with Sharad Pawar, says Kerala minister A K Saseendran

Hours after a section of legislators from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra joined the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government, Kerala Minister and senior NCP leader A K Saseendran said the Kerala unit of the party stands with Sharad Pawar. In a surprising move, Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, while eight MLAs of his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) took oath as ministers in the government led by an alliance of the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier in the day.

"We are part of the NCP led by Sharad Pawar. Ajit Pawar and others cheated the party. Those who observe national politics will not be able to justify Ajit Pawar's decision. His action is guided by his greed towards power," Saseendran told the media. Saseendran, who is the Forest Minister in the CPI(M)-led government in Kerala, said the state unit of NCP will stand with the Left Front here.

"NCP will not take any stand to cooperate with the BJP. All the state units have the same opinion," he said. Earlier in the day, Sharad Pawar said his endeavour after this development would be to travel as much as possible within state and the country, and build relations with people. Pawar said he would not fight over anyone saying anything by taking the NCP's name, but would go to the people instead.


"Those who violated the party line and took oath, a decision has to be taken on them," he said. He said some party leaders were nervous about investigations by the Enforcement Directorate and named Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse-Patil, and Hasan Mushrif. Pawar said he was not bothered that people have left, but he was worried about their future.