Sharad Pawar appoints Praful Patel, Supriya Sule as NCP working presidents: Ajit Pawar sidelined?

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday declared Praful Patel and Supriya Sule working presidents of the party. The move has significantly revived the talks that Sharad Pawar has marginalised nephew Ajit Pawar who has earlier displayed a rebellious demeanor. Sharad Pawar made the announcement in the presence of Ajit Pawar who looked upset and left the party office without any interaction with the media.

Sharad Pawar made the announcement on the 24th anniversary of the foundation of the NCP. He said, “Praful Patel will shoulder the responsibility of the Working President of the Nationalist Congress Party. Supriya Sule will also be the Working President of the party,” he said.

Amidst his aspirations for the chief ministerial role, the spotlight has now turned to Ajit Pawar, capturing the curiosity of all to see what his next move would be in response to the unfolding events. For the same alleged aspirations, Ajit Pawar had joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) overnight in 2019 to take charge as a deputy chief minister to Devendra Fadnavis.

When Ajit Pawar was recently asked if he has aimed for a top post ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election 2024, the senior NCP leader said he aspires to become the chief minister even now. Speaking with a Marathi newspaper, Ajit Pawar said, “Why 2024, even now I aspire to become the chief minister.”

But looking at the developments spanning several months, it appears increasingly evident that Ajit Pawar’s influence within the NCP is waning. Ajit Pawar's name was missing from the invitee list for NCP’s national convention. The development had come amid speculation that the NCP would split as Ajit Pawar and a group of MLAs plan to join the rival BJP.

By making Supriya Sule in charge of Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar had effectively made nephew Ajit Pawar report to her on party matters, a move that could lead to unease in the party.

However, senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who had endorsed Supriya Sule and Praful Patel for leadership roles, refuted the reports that Ajit Pawar was being sidelined. After the names of Supriya Sule and Praful Patel were announced, Ajit Pawar in a tweet congratulated the two.

He said, “Under the leadership and guidance of respected Sharad Chandra Pawar Saheb, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is making its debut in the silver jubilee year with the idea of 'Maharashtra in the heart... eyes in front of the nation...' will make a valuable contribution to the development of the country and the state. It is believed that every worker and office bearer of the NCP will work towards this goal. Congratulations again to the newly elected officials!”