NCP split: Rahul meets Shard Pawar, extends support

New Delhi, July 6:  Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his residence, days after his party was split by his nephew Ajit Pawar.

Rahul Gandhi arrived at the residence of Sharrad Pawar in the evening and met Sharad Pawar’s daughter, party working president Supriya Sule and extended his full support with them. 

According to NCP leaders, Rahul Gandhi also said that Congress is 100 per cent with Sharad Pawar.

Earlier in the day, Sharad Pawar had called the meeting of the party’s national executive at his residence and said that rebels will have to pay the price. 

He also said that he will rebuild the party no matter if he is 83 or 92 years old. 

The meeting holds significance as the Ajit Pawar faction had moved Election Commission to claim name and symbol of the party and that they have the backing of a majority of the party's MLAs. The Ajit Pawar-led camp claimed the backing of 40 elected party officials (MLAs, MLCs, and MPs).

The meeting in the national capital comes a day after NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar both held a meeting separately in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Ajit Pawar had split the NCP and took oath as Deputy Chief Minister along with eight MInisters in the BJP-Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra.