Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and several senior NCP leaders from his faction, including Nawab Malik, Sana Malik, and Zeeshan Siddique, were conspicuously absent from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Park. The rally, intended as a show of unity for the Mahayuti alliance, instead drew attention to potential cracks in the coalition.

Pawar’s absence aligns with reports of growing dissatisfaction within the NCP over BJP’s hardline campaign strategies, particularly the divisive “batenge toh katenge” slogan. Ajit Pawar had previously criticized the slogan, emphasizing that Maharashtra voters prioritize developmental issues over religious narratives​.

The NCP’s demand for a larger seat share in the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly elections has reportedly heightened tensions within the Mahayuti, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction). This internal friction comes as the alliance faces a robust challenge from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction)​.

While leaders like BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis downplayed reports of a rift, the absence of prominent NCP figures at a key event has intensified speculation, raising questions about the alliance’s cohesion ahead of the November 20 elections​.