13 July,2026 01:41 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
NCP MP Praful Patel highlights that Ajit Pawar`s demise has triggered leadership crisis (File pic)
The structural cracks within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have widened into a high-stakes battle for organisational control following the untimely demise of former national president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Admitting to the massive political vacuum, NCP National Working President and Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Praful Patel said on Monday said that while it is difficult to fill the void left by Pawar, the party must take "corrective steps" to remain relevant in both state and national politics, news agency IANS reported.
Patel's admission comes amid intense speculation in political circles over growing internal discontent, intra-party wrangling, and the absence of a decisive leader.
With Pawar's wife Sunetra taking the reins as National President and his son Parth assuming a larger organisational role, operational friction has reportedly emerged between senior party veterans and the immediate family.
Some political observers highlight that leadership vacuums are invariably filled, either through internal succession or by external rivals, IANS reported.
For the NCP, survival depends on institutionalising the organisational machinery built by Ajit Pawar rather than attempting to replicate his individual leadership.
Without Ajit Pawar's centralised authority, simmering internal tensions have reportedly surfaced, threatening a split across three major organisational fault lines.
However, the most visible indication of the internal discord emerged from a recent formal communication to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
When the party submitted its revised list of national office-bearers and executive committee members, the names of veteran leaders Praful Patel and State President Sunil Tatkare were reportedly either omitted or shown without their official designations. Although the leadership dismissed the omission as a "typographical error", it triggered speculation within political circles.
According to IANS, senior leaders reportedly suspect a deliberate attempt to sideline the old guard and centralise operational control under the family leadership.
Seasoned strategists who aligned with the faction because of Ajit Pawar are also said to be wary of a legacy-driven hierarchy. There is also apprehension that ticket distribution and resource allocation for upcoming elections could be influenced more by family loyalists than by collective party consensus.
A senior minister while requesting anonymity said, "Without Ajit Pawar's aggressive bargaining style, there are concerns that the party could be overshadowed by the BJP."
The leader also highlighted, "The remaining leadership must prove they can still deliver a crucial chunk of the Western Maharashtra and Marathwada vote bank to maintain equal footing," as cited by IANS.
According to a Minister, the immediate priority for the new leadership is to assure the grassroots cadre that "Ajit Dada's" developmental blueprint for the region will not be abandoned.
The minister added that the NCP stands at a critical crossroads, and that the coming weeks will determine whether the party can successfully transition into a collective institution or whether the widening internal cracks will lead to fragmentation.
(With inputs from IANS)
