Opinion: In BJPs "Pawar" Move, A Big Warning For Family-Run Parties

What does the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have in common with the Shiv Sena?

To begin with, both were partners in the anti-BJP Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition that governed Maharashtra from November 2019 to June 2022.

The second parallel is that both parties split vertically and had one group crossing over to the BJP's camp. As is known, the breakaway groups or factions are now part of the coalition running the government since June 30 last year.

Significantly, Ajit Pawar parted ways with his uncle Sharad Pawar on Sunday July 2, almost exactly a year to the day Eknath Shinde became Chief Minister after quitting the ship steered by Uddhav Thackeray.