Jayant Patil, the Maharashtra state president of the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction, has resigned from his post. The resignation comes just before the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections and other local elections across Maharashtra. Patil held the position of state president for seven years.
Patil had stated he had requested the party leadership to let him step down to facilitate the appointment of new leadership. Sources suggest that Shashikant Shinde is likely to be the next state president, with a final decision expected at the NCP (Sharad Pawar) executive meeting on Tuesday.
The BMC elections are expected to be highly competitive, with a direct contest between the BJP, the Shinde Sena, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP versus the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar). The BMC elections are prestigious, and a tough battle is expected. The political stance of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray remains uncertain.
In June 2023, a major split in the NCP saw Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s nephew, along with 40 MLAs, leaving the party. There was speculation in Maharashtra politics last month about a possible reunion between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar.
These rumors were fueled by several meetings between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in recent months. The political dynamics in Maharashtra are also changing, especially after former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray shared a platform.