New Delhi/IBNS: In a massive setback for veteran politician Sharad Pawar, all seven Nagaland Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs have extended their support to Ajit Pawar.

In a statement on Thursday, the seven NCP MLAs said all party workers in the Nagaland NCP office will support Ajit Pawar.

Earlier this month, Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Maharashtra Shiv Sena and BJP alliance government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, a move that split the NCP, a party founded by Sharad Pawar.

Ajit Pawar's tactical move has drawn parallels to how Shinde broke away from the Shiv Sena when Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister and eventually gained control of the Shiv Sena.

In 2019, the Shiv Sena ended the alliance with the BJP and formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra with Congress and NCP.