NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Jayant Patil has resigned from his position as the Maharashtra state president on Saturday. This resignation comes at a crucial time, just before the upcoming local body elections in Mumbai, including the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and across Maharashtra. Patil served as the party’s state president for seven years.
Patil stated that he had personally requested the party leadership to relieve him of his duties to pave the way for new leadership. It is believed that the party is considering Shasikant Shinde as the new state president, with a final decision expected at the NCP (Sharad Pawar) executive meeting on Tuesday.
The upcoming BMC elections are expected to be highly competitive, with a direct contest between the BJP, the Shinde Sena, and the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar, against the Congress, the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar). The BMC elections are considered a matter of prestige and are expected to witness a fierce competition. Meanwhile, it remains unclear which side Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray will align with in the elections.
In June 2023, a significant split occurred in the NCP. Ajit Pawar, the nephew of Sharad Pawar, along with 40 MLAs, broke away from the party. There were widespread speculations in Maharashtra’s political circles last month about the possibility of Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar reuniting on a single platform.
These speculations gained momentum following three or four meetings between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in recent months. Furthermore, recent developments, including the coming together of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, have indicated potential shifts in political dynamics within Maharashtra.