NCP founder Sharad Pawar acknowledged the unexpected outcome of the Maharashtra Assembly election, where the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) faced a significant defeat, calling it a clear mandate from the people. Addressing the Ajit Pawar faction's claim over the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sharad Pawar stated, "More people may have voted for them, but Maharashtra knows who founded the NCP."
On Ajit Pawar faction claiming the real NCP as theirs, NCP-SP Chief Sharad Pawar said, "More people have voted for them than us, but Maharashtra knows who is the founder of the Nationalist Congress Party."
Sharad Pawar's NCP faction secured only 10 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly election, marking its worst performance since the party's formation in 1999. The NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar, along with a group of loyal MLAs, rebelled against Sharad Pawar and allied with the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Eknath Shinde. Ajit Pawar later assumed the role of Deputy Chief Minister.