Sharad Pawar, the veteran leader and chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), announced his resignation on Tuesday, sparking speculation about his successor. While he has not yet made a final decision on whether to retract his resignation, the party is already preparing for a potential new leader. Supriya Sule, Pawar’s daughter, appears to be the favorite for the role.
The committee tasked with selecting a successor is scheduled to meet today to determine the next steps, as directed by Sharad Pawar. Many have suggested that Supriya Sule is likely to take on her father’s mantle in the Opposition, and the committee could set in motion the process of her elevation.
One challenge for the committee is keeping Pawar’s nephew, Ajit Pawar, within the party’s fold. There has been no indication that a special role is being crafted for him within the party, and the NCP is in talks with allies Congress and the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray to pitch its leader as the Chief Ministerial face of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the next assembly election.
Pawar’s shocked resignation on Tuesday followed speculation about Ajit Pawar’s growing proximity to the BJP, leading many to assume that Sharad Pawar’s move was meant to forestall him and prevent a split in the party. Ajit Pawar met with his uncle on Wednesday and quoted him as saying, “I took my decision but because of all of you, I will rethink my decision. But I need two to three days.”
While Sharad Pawar has not shown any inclination to change his mind so far, senior party leaders have endorsed Supriya Sule as his successor. Chaggan Bhujbal, a senior NCP leader, said, “Ajit Pawar should take care of the state and (Supriya) Sule should take care of national politics. She should be the next national president if Sharad Pawar doesn’t want to continue as the president.”
The NCP is the largest party in the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, and Ajit Pawar is the Leader of the Opposition. After the 2018 assembly election, Ajit Pawar unexpectedly took the oath with Devendra Fadnavis, as his uncle worked to stitch up a coalition with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and the Congress. In a recent book, Sharad Pawar said he was “shocked” when he learned about it.
While Sharad Pawar’s resignation has caused a stir within the NCP, the party is already making preparations for a potential new leader. Supriya Sule appears to be the front-runner, but the party will need to navigate the challenge of keeping Ajit Pawar within its fold. The NCP is also in talks with allies Congress and the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray to pitch its leader as the Chief Ministerial face of the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the next assembly election.
