[3] On 5 March 2024, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar declared the Ajit Pawar faction as the "real" NCP, citing its legislative majority.

The NCP purports a centrist, secular, and inclusive political approach, focusing on social justice, federalism, and the welfare of farmers and weaker sections of society.

Supriya Sule, a senior leader in the Sharad Pawar-led faction, emphasized that the split was due to ideological differences within the party and had nothing to do with personal disputes within the Pawar family.

[10] By aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar saw an opportunity to enhance his political influence and secure a significant role in the state government.

For instance, senior NCP leaders such as Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Hasan Mushrif were under ED investigation for various cases when they switched sides.

[20] On 2 July 2023, suddenly Ajit Pawar went to Raj Bhavan in Mumbai and took oath as Deputy Chief Minister, along with NCP leaders like Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Dhananjay Munde, Hasan Mushrif, Aatram Dharamraobaba Bhagwantrao, Aditi Sunil Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode.

[citation needed] On 6 February 2024, Ajit Pawar's faction has been officially recognized as the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) by the Election Commission of India.