Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday expressed concerns over what he described as a steady erosion of ideological commitment in politics, alleging that most political parties have abandoned their core principles and are resorting to different tactics to expand their ranks.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, Pawar, who also heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said party-hopping has become rampant, with leaders being lured or coerced into switching sides.