Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday said the Election Commission of India (ECI) should realise breakaway leaders Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel are claiming to represent the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) when the party's founder Sharad Pawar is still around and had even attended a hearing at the apex poll body in connection with the split, reported news agency PTI.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has started the trend of breaking political parties and families, which was dangerous for democracy, Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP, told reporters.