Ajit Pawar stepping down could see major changes in NCP

The Pawars have squarely denied reports of Ajit's closeness to BJP.

With Ajit Pawar expressing a desire to quit as Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and work in party organisation and Chhagan Bhujbal, too, throwing the hat in the ring, the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is expected to witness dramatic developments in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls.

This was clear from the chain of events since April when information surfaced of Ajit’s closeness with the BJP, though the uncle-nephew duo had squarely denied the reports.

The 82-year-old Pawar, who completed 63 years of public life on May 1, abruptly announced his resignation on 2 May and formed a committee to hunt for his successor. However, Pawar had withdrawn his resignation on March 5 after the committee appointed to hunt for his successor unanimously rejected his resignation and requested him to take it back amid emotional reactions from leaders and workers alike.

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While taking back the resignation, Pawar had hinted at "organisational changes" and creating new leadership in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. Besides, he stressed the need to have a proper "succession plan" in place in the party.

Thereafter on May 17, the NCP announced organisational elections and appointed Jaiprakash Dandegaonkar and Dilip Walse-Patil as returning officers for Maharashtra and Mumbai, respectively.

However, on June 9, Pawar, on the eve of June 10- the 24th foundation day of the party - sprang a surprise when he anointed his daughter Supriya Sule and confidante Praful Patel as the two Working Presidents.

On June 21, when the silver jubilee celebrations of the party was held, Pawar’s nephew Ajit, who has close to two decades of ministerial experience and a four-time former Deputy Chief Minister, now has sprung a surprise that he want to give up the post of Leader of Opposition hinting to be state President.

The post of the NCP’s Maharashtra President had been represented by stalwarts like Chhagan Bhujbal, Babanrao Pachpute, Arun Gujarati, late R R Patil, Bhaskar Jadhav, Sunil Tatkare and Jayant Patil, the current incumbent.

While Pachpute is now with the BJP, Jadhav is a member of the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Now, Bhujbal, popular OBC leader and President of Akhil Bharatiya Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad is keen to work as state President.

Ajit was very clear when he said: “…I am told that I don't act tough as the Leader of Opposition....Let me tell you… first of all I was not keen for this post…the party leadership and the MLAs asked to take it over…and I am working in this post for a year…I want to be relieved from the post…instead I want to work for the party organisation in whatever capacity the leadership decides…I will do justice to it…”

However, Bhujbal, a former Deputy Chief Minister and orator-par-excellence states: “I believe that an OBC leader should head the party and there are many in the party - Sunil Tatkare, Jitendra Awhad, Dhananjay Munde…even I could be, there are others as well.” He further said that state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule and state Congress President Nana Patole both are OBCs.

“What I wanted to say is that we need to change the image of the party,” he added, adding that when we talk about OBC empowerment we should ensure that OBC members are given responsibilities.