Amid buzz over Jayant Patil's exit, fresh NCP(SP) faces join race to replace him

Indian Express

a day ago

At the 26th foundation day celebrations of his party Tuesday, Maharashtra NCP(SP) president Jayant Patil created a stir as he offered to resign from his post for the second time within a year claiming 'the opportunity to lead the party should be given to a new face'.
Even as Patil's statement saw an uproar from party workers, unlike last time, it has triggered speculations about his successor and possible exit from the NCP(SP) after the party's patriarch Sharad Pawar indicated that it would 'look for new faces to lead'.
In his address, Pawar did not insist that Patil continue in his post and also did not praise his leadership, merely saying, 'I will sit and discuss the issue (of electing a new state president) with prominent leaders of the party. We will take a collective decision. We want to ensure that a new face leads the party in every district and taluka. We will work to create a new generation of party workers and leaders across the state.'
Pawar's comments have led a section of NCP(SP) leaders to believe that Patil may not stay in the party if he steps down. 'The doors of the BJP are open for him (Jayant Patil). Evidence to this is Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's frequent praise of Patil on the floor of the Assembly. He may join the BJP or the (Ajit Pawar-led) NCP,' an NCP(SP) leader said on the condition of anonymity.
However, veteran NCP leader Ankush Kakde, who is seen to be close to Sharad Pawar, claimed there was 'no immediate worry about leadership'. 'I think Patil will be at the helm till the (upcoming) civic polls,' he said.
Meanwhile, Pawar's announcement has put the spotlight on the NCP(SP)'s young leaders like former ministers Jitendra Awhad, Rajesh Tope and Shashikant Shinde, Lok Sabha MP Amol Kolhe and Pawar's grandnephew Rohit Pawar, who are seen to be in the running to replace Patil.
Key contenders
Rohit and Patil have had strained ties. In June last year, at the party's foundation day event, Rohit was the first leader to target Patil over issues concerning the party's functioning.
While reprimanding Rohit for raking up such issues publicly, Patil had then offered to quit as state president, saying he would remain in the post only till the Assembly elections (held in November 2024). However, Rohit offered an olive branch and said he had no intention to lead the party and subsequently 'praised' Patil's work.
Though this time there are hardly any dissenting voices against Patil, sources said one of the key reasons for him offering to quit his post are the number of Enforcement Directorate (ED) cases against him, like the one over his alleged involvement in the IF&FS scam. Since the ED's summons to Patil in 2023, the IF&FS case has not moved forward. Sources in the BJP said that 'Patil's amicable relations with Fadnavis have worked to his advantage'.
Awhad, on the other hand, is seen to be close to Pawar Senior as well as Baramati MP Supriya Sule, Pawar's daughter. Seen as strong voice which takes on the ruling Mahayuti strongly over various issues, the OBC leader is seen to have made a place for himself among the Maratha community for his attacks on former minister Dhananjay Munde and his supporters over the murder of Massajog sarpanch Sanjay Deshmukh.
Another frontrunner in the reckoning to replace Patil, Shashikant Shinde is an MLC, who had been an MLA from Satara district several times. He lost narrowly to the BJP's Udayanraje Bhosale from the Satara Lok Sabha seat in last year's polls.
Tope, who hails from Jalna and had drawn praise for his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic as state health minister in the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, has a clean image.
Sule in the running?
Even as sources said Sule was only keen to take over the reins of the NCP(SP) at the national level if Pawar Senior decides to step away, a section of the party believes she should take over the mantle from Patil. 'Pawar saheb is our national leader and Sule should take charge of Maharashtra, a key state for the party… She is a capable leader who has proved her credentials. Recently, she even represented the country abroad (as the head of one of the multi-party delegations for global outreach on Operation Sindoor) and drew accolades. Even the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) trusted her,' NCP (SP) leader Mahesh Tapase said.