Two years since the split of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the rival Pawar factions came together for the engagement ceremony of Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew Yugendra Pawar with Tanishka Kulkarni.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar attended the traditional ceremony held in Mumbai on Sunday.
The private ceremony, conducted at the Mumbai home of Yugendra Pawar’s bride-to-be, Tanishka Kulkarni, turned into a setting of family warmth and festivities, and united members of the formerly split Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under one roof.
Images and videos from the event show smiles, blessings, and familial bonds.
Yugendra is the son of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s younger brother Shrinivas Pawar. In spite of having a tough electoral background, Yugendra lost from his own uncle Ajit Pawar in the 2024 Assembly polls from Baramati.
Present there too were Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, and her relatives.
This comes just a few months after the Pawars attended the engagement ceremony of Ajit Pawar’s younger son, Jay Pawar, in Pune.
NCP 2023 split
In 2023, Ajit Pawar’s breakaway from the NCP and joining the BJP-controlled Maharashtra government caused waves in the state’s political scene.
The move led to a formal party split and saw family members contesting elections against each other. Supriya Sule, who contested against her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar in the Lok Sabha polls, added fuel to the narrative of a divided family.
Political attacks continue
Meanwhile, on the political front, Supriya Sule slammed the BJP-led Mahayuti government, which her cousin is also a part of, for failing to address the rising crime rate in Maharashtra. She accused it of being a mute spectator as miscreants had no fear of the law.
Addressing media persons, the MP from Baramati alleged that a ₹4,900 crore scam was executed in the Majhi Ladki Bahin Yogana, the Centre’s pet scheme, where women receive monthly support of ₹1,500.
She also raised a red flag on irregularities in the Election Commission’s management of voter lists in Bihar, calling for a detailed debate in the Parliament on electoral accountability and transparency.