New Delhi: Fifty five days after Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar appears to have indicated that a return by his nephew into the party’s fold is unlikely.Responding to his daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule’s assertion that Ajit Pawar is a leader of the party, the NCP chief said, “I did not assert that Ajit Pawar is our leader. It was Supriya Sule who made that statement. Their relationship is akin to siblings, devoid of any political connotation. My statement didn’t designate Ajit Pawar as our leader.”Sharad Pawar’s statement triggered varied interpretations within Maharashtra’s opposition and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP insinuated that Sharad Pawar’s allegiance was veering towards the National Democratic Alliance. The opposition camp contended that the elder Pawar was deftly bewildering the BJP.Nana Patole, the head of Maharashtra Congress, told reporters that Ajit Pawar’s talks with his uncle might have led to a desire for return. “Sharad Pawar appears to have succeeded in changing Ajit Pawar’s mind. There is no confusion in Congress and the Uddhav-led Shiv Sena about Sharad Pawar. We firmly stand behind Sharad Pawar. It is for them to decide what is going on in the NCP and what steps they should take,” Nana said.On the other hand, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the state’s BJP chief, told local media that Sharad Pawar, a votary of developmental politics, was on the cusp of aligning with the NDA. By claiming Pawar as an ally, Bawankule proclaimed the BJP’s supremacy in the forthcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Also read: Maharashtra: Is the Stage Being Set for Ajit to Reunite With Sharad Pawar?‘Opportunity’While talking to the press in Kolhapur on August 25, Pawar cleared the air about Ajit Pawar’s presumed return to his original party. He said that a “chance” was given to him to make a return after 2019, when Ajit had allied with BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis to form the Maharashtra government. “You may recall a particular incident when an early morning oath ceremony took place between two individuals. One of our colleagues was involved in this event. At that juncture, we made a resolve. Despite vowing not to tread that path again, we opted for a different course of action, viewing it as an opportunity,” remarked Sharad Pawar in Kolhapur.“The same opportunity cannot be given to him again and again and it should not be sought as well,” said Pawar.Despite Sharad Pawar claiming that there is no split in the party, maximum MLAs of the NCP appear to be with the Ajit Pawar faction. Nine minsters in the Maharashtra government come from the NCP, but Sharad Pawar has consistently said that there is no split in the party. Even Supriya Sule reiterated this claim by enforcing that there is no split in the NCP. What is the reason for such a stance? It is speculated that Sharad Pawar refusing to acknowledge this split is a ploy to stop the Election Commission from handing over the party to Ajit Pawar. Last year, the ECI recognised Eknath Shinde’s faction as the “real” Shiv Sena based on the number of MLAs each faction had. The poll body also announced that Shinde’s team will get the ‘bow-and-arrow’ symbol, the original party symbol. Sharad Pawar appears to be aware of such an outcome and thus, since the day Ajit joined ranks with BJP along with eight other MLAs who took oath as minister, the elder Pawar has maintained that there is no split in the NCP. In fact, NCP has initiated disqualification proceedings against only nine of its MLAs, those who took oath as minsters in the Shinde government. Earlier in August, Sharad Pawar said, “We have told the Election Commission that there is no split and NCP remains united. We are the real party and no one can stake a claim on it… The Election Commission should not have taken cognisance of their letter because no such split has ever happened and the party stands united.”The letter, sent to the Election Commission by Ajit Pawar is a petition under Para 15 of Election Symbols Order to recognise him as the president of NCP.The same was repeated by Jitendra Awhad, a Sharad Pawar loyalist. After Pawar’s press conference on Friday where he refused to see Ajit Pawar as a NCP leader, Bhaskar Jadhav, a five-time MLA from the Shiv Sena (UBT) said that Sharad Pawar is cautious so that “none of his statements lead to unintended complications”. Describing Sharad Pawar’s approach as equivalent to locating a needle in the haystack, Jadhav said to the channel ‘ABP Maja’: “Sharad Pawar’s statements often invite a myriad of interpretations, leading many to delve into the details of his position. The enigmatic nature of Pawar’s stance has left some perplexed, and some have even lost their way trying to unravel its rationale. Pawar is in a battle against the MLAs who defected from the NCP, additionally, he remains entangled in a political as well as a legal battle. Jayant Patil has formally lodged a complaint against 9 MLAs.”“While Sharad Pawar cautiously navigates to ensure that none of his statements lead to unintended complications. We all saw what happened with Shiv Sena.“If Ajit Pawar does not want to be disqualified, he can come back. Because, Sharad Pawar has not left any other door open for Ajit Pawar.”