In a significant move, Jayant Patil, the Maharashtra state president of the NCP (Sharad Pawar), has stepped down from his post. The resignation was announced on Saturday, just ahead of the crucial local body elections throughout Maharashtra, including the high-stakes Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls. Patil’s leadership tenure as state president lasted for seven years.
Patil indicated that his decision was a personal request to the party leadership to allow him to make way for fresh leadership. There is speculation that Shasikant Shinde will be appointed as the new state president, with a final decision expected to be made at the NCP (Sharad Pawar) executive meeting on Tuesday.
The upcoming BMC elections are anticipated to be a closely fought battle, featuring a direct contest between the BJP, the Shinde Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP, against the Congress, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar). The BMC elections are of immense political importance, and a fierce competition is anticipated. The position of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray regarding his potential involvement in the elections remains unclear.
The NCP faced a major split in June 2023 when Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s nephew, along with 40 MLAs, broke away from the party. In recent weeks, there has been considerable discussion in Maharashtra’s political landscape about the possibility of Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar uniting on a single platform.
These discussions were further fueled by several meetings between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in recent months. Additionally, the recent collaboration between former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray points towards emerging political equations within Maharashtra.