Row over NCP room allocation in Parliament; Lok Sabha Secretariat says room for Sharad Pawar

Sharad Pawar/PTI

Amid controversy over the allocation of a room in the Parliament House complex to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, the Lok Sabha Secretariat explained that the room was intended for the group led by Sharad Pawar.

On September 11, the Lok Sabha Secretariat's Estate and Heritage Management branch published a list of smaller parties assigned chambers in Parliament House and Samvidhan Sadan (the former Parliament Building). According to the roster, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has been given Room 126-D in Samvidhan Sadan, reported PTI.

According to the report, however, this generated controversy in Maharashtra, where elections are approaching, because the Sharad Pawar-led NCP has more MPs than Ajit Pawar's side. The Lok Sabha Secretariat responded by issuing a clarification the next day, stating that the space was allotted to NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).

The Sharad Pawar side has eight Lok Sabha MPs, while Ajit Pawar has only one. In the Rajya Sabha, Sharad Pawar's party has two seats, while the NCP has three, the news agency report added.

Reportedly, furthermore, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) were assigned adjacent apartments in Samvidhan Sadan. Shiv Sena (UBT) was awarded the room formerly occupied by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which currently has only one Rajya Sabha member.

Other parties allocated rooms include the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a crucial BJP partner, and the Janata Dal (U), a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with its national party status, was also assigned a chamber in Samvidhan Sadan.

These room allocations will be in place for the tenure of the 18 Lok Sabha, which was formed in June following the parliamentary elections. Rooms are assigned based on each party's representation in Parliament, allowing for meetings and other activities, the report added.

NCP vs NCP

The split in NCP happened in 2023 when Ajit Pawar, the nephew of NCP founder Sharad Pawar, rebelled against his uncle Sharad Pawar's leadership and founded his faction inside the party. This move was viewed as a huge setback for the NCP, which had been a dominant force in Maharashtra politics for decades.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) later accepted Ajit Pawar's group as the original NCP, causing a formal split within the party. The Sharad Pawar-led faction was forced to change its name to the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar). The schism has significant implications for Maharashtra politics. Both factions are vying for power and influence within the state.