NCP gets a new working president and a Maharashtra in-charge – and it’s Supriya Sule

On the party's 24th anniversary event, Sharad Pawar announces Sule, Praful Patel as working presidents; with Sule in-charge of Maharashtra, where it leaves Ajit Pawar is a question

Baramati Lok Sabha MP Sule was made in-charge of Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, as well as the NCP's women, youth and student wings, and the Lok Sabha unit. (Twitter/@supriya_sule)

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Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar’s appointment of his daughter and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, along with senior leader Praful Patel, as working presidents of the party, on Saturday is typical of the man who has straddled Indian politics for nearly half a century.

Pawar made the announcement at an event to mark the NCP’s 24th anniversary in Delhi, in the presence of all top leaders of the party, including his nephew Ajit Pawar, who incidentally did not get any new role. On who would be the new party chief, Pawar said “the post was not vacant yet”.

Baramati Lok Sabha MP Sule was made in-charge of Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, as well as the NCP’s women, youth and student wings, and the Lok Sabha unit. She will also be the chairperson of the party’s Central Election Authority.

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Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel will hold the charge of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Goa and Rajya Sabha.

One of Pawar’s closest aides and former NCP vice-president, Patel was the only other party leader besides Pawar who held a Cabinet berth in the two UPA governments. Belonging to Bhandara in Vidarbha, Patel’s assets include good relations with industrialists, and his reputation of a trouble-shooter.

It is Sule’s appointment that may raise some eyebrows. While a three-time MP from the NCP bastion of Baramati, she is largely a Delhi face, with friends across parties in the Capital. An articulate voice in the Lok Sabha, Sule, it was understood that she was happy in this role, leaving more nitty-gritty political matters, particularly in Maharashtra, to cousin Ajit Pawar.

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Sule’s elevation as in-charge of Maharashtra may see her stepping on Ajit’s shoes, and all eyes will be on whether this proves to be the breaking point for the rebellious nephew.

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At a press conference after the party event, Pawar said everyone had been consulted on the decisions. He also dismissed reports about Ajit’s “unhappiness”, saying they did not hold even 1% truth.

“Everybody in the party has specific responsibilities. Jayant Patil is Maharashtra president of the NCP, Ajit Pawar is the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. Patel and Sule had no responsibilities till now,” Pawar said.

The unsaid fact is that even at 84, the NCP remains in the firm grip of Pawar – a fact he underlined as recently as last month, when he resigned, only to be begged to stay back, and earlier during a thwarted rebellion by Ajit. And this is likely to remain the same till at least the 2024 general elections.

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There was no immediate reaction from Ajit on the decision. But the BJP, which has tacitly and overtly courted Ajit, did not refrain from taking a swipe. Its leader in the Legislative Council, Pravin Darekar, said: “Be it NCP workers or the public perception, after Pawar, everybody looks at Ajit Pawar as the second-in-command. And this is on merit, because Ajit is hardworking and has built the organisation. Yet, Sharad Pawar has chosen his daughter to lead the party as his political heir.”

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Pawar’s decision will also be closely watched, as the NCP stands at a crucial juncture now, and is not just expected to play a big role in the Opposition anti-BJP unity project, but in keeping the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition in Maharashtra together for next year’s Assembly polls.

Jayant Patil talked of this coming “huge battle”. “We have to stand united. It is our responsibility to throw all our weight behind Sharad Pawarji,” the NCP Maharashtra chief said.

In her speech, Sule said: “In 24 years of its existence, the NCP has remained in power for 19 years in the state, a feat no other party has managed to achieve.” She exhorted party leaders that the NCP needed to work towards regaining that lost stature.

What stands in the NCP’s favour is Pawar’s personal standing, earning him respect of rivals and friends alike. His opponents may ridicule the party for not managing to ever cross the double-digit mark in the Lok Sabha, but they would be the first to acknowledge that it is not the sum of Pawar’s influence. It is this, that allows Pawar to chart a path that often does not align with the rest of the Opposition, including on the Gautam Adani issue.

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The stay in power, from 1999 to 2014 in Maharashtra and 2004 to 2014 at the Centre, has also helped the NCP consolidate considerable resources, always handy in a power play.

Still, Pawar has not been able to wipe away the tag of his party being limited to western Maharashtra. Its strong presence in districts such as Thane in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Beed in Marathwada, Solapur in western Maharashtra, and Jalgaon in north Maharashtra is waning. It now faces the challenge of winning elections in areas such as Vidarbha, Marathwada and north Maharashtra.

Today, the party has 53 MLAs in Maharashtra and five MPs in the Lok Sabha. “It is time to look for victory once again. It is time to celebrate the party’s victory in 2024, both in the Assembly and in the Lok Sabha. Unwavering support to Sharad Pawarji will bring us that victory,” Patil said on Saturday.