In modern Indian political history, in which year was the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) formally founded by leaders who broke away from the Indian National Congress?

Introduction / Context:
This question is from contemporary Indian politics and focuses on party formation in the multi party system. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) emerged as a significant regional and national player, particularly in Maharashtra, after senior leaders split from the Indian National Congress. Remembering the year of its founding helps you place political realignments in a clear timeline, which is important for exams that test basic political awareness.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The party mentioned is the Nationalist Congress Party, often abbreviated as NCP.
• It was formed by leaders who left the Indian National Congress.
• The options include years spread across the second half of the twentieth century and early twenty first century.
• The task is to identify the year in which NCP was formally founded.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is to recall the political developments of the late nineteen nineties. Senior Congress leaders Sharad Pawar, P. A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar questioned the issue of foreign origin leadership in the Congress. This dispute led to their expulsion from the party and the formation of a new outfit, the Nationalist Congress Party, in 1999. The NCP later became a major force in Maharashtra politics and often participated in coalition governments at the state and central levels.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the NCP is not an old party from the early post independence decades; it is relatively recent.Step 2: Connect the birth of the NCP with debates inside the Congress in the late nineteen nineties, particularly around leadership issues.Step 3: Remember the names Sharad Pawar, P. A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar as founders of the NCP.Step 4: Place these events in the year 1999, which is repeatedly mentioned in political summaries.Step 5: From the given options, identify 1999 as the only year that fits this context and select it as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify your choice by recalling major elections and alliances. The NCP was already present in the 1999 general elections, which confirms that it must have been formed that same year or slightly earlier. The year 1949 is too close to independence, 1972 refers to a different era of Congress dominance, 1997 is before the actual split, and 2001 is after the party was already active in politics. These cross checks confirm that 1999 is the correct founding year.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 1949: This year belongs to the early post independence period when the Indian National Congress was still firmly united and NCP did not exist.
• 1972: This is associated with the period after the 1971 war and is not connected to the formation of NCP.
• 1997: There were political developments in the nineties, but the formal founding of NCP occurred later, in 1999.
• 2001: By this time the NCP was already participating in elections and coalitions, so 2001 is too late to be its founding year.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse the founding year of NCP with other political events in the nineteen nineties, such as the formation of different regional parties or coalition governments. Another mistake is to vaguely remember that it was formed in the late nineties or early two thousands and then guess 1997 or 2001. A simple way to avoid confusion is to fix in your mind that 1999 equals NCP formation plus general elections where the party first contested under its own banner.

Final Answer:
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was formally founded in the year 1999.