The NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction has called for a general body meeting on Tuesday, according to party leaders, amid ongoing speculation about a possible change in its Maharashtra unit leadership.
Media reports suggest that current state president Jayant Patil has resigned from his post, and that party MLC Shashikant Shinde may succeed him. When asked, Shinde said that being given the opportunity would mark a significant turning point in his political career. “On July 15, all party leaders will gather to discuss the way forward,” he stated, reported news agency PTI.
Patil has held the position of state president in the undivided Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) since 2018. Following the split in July 2023—triggered by Ajit Pawar’s rebellion—Patil continued to serve in the same role under the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) faction.
NCP (SP) chief national spokesperson Jitendra Awhad in a statement on Saturday, called reports of Patil`s resignation mischievous.
A meeting has been called on July 15. “Let`s see what happens,” Awhad stated on Sunday, reported news agency PTI.
There has been no official comment so far from the party or Jayant Patil about his resignation.
There have been reports in a section of media, including news channels, that Patil has stepped down from his post and Shashikant Shinde is set to succeed him.
On June 10, on the NCP`s 26th foundation day, Patil hinted at stepping down from the post in the presence of party chief Sharad Pawar.
It is important for the party to give a chance to new faces, Patil had said, triggering an emotional reaction from workers who urged him to continue.
Patil, a staunch loyalist of Sharad Pawar, has been with him since the formation of the NCP in 1999. He sided with the Pawar senior after Ajit Pawar rebelled in 2023.
An eight-term MLA from Islampur in Maharashtra`s Sangli district, Patil has been representing the constituency for more than three decades.
He had served as the cabinet minister, holding charge of the Water Resources Department, in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray, according to PTI.
Earlier, he served as the state`s rural development minister (2009-2014), finance minister (1999- 2008) and home minister (2008- 2009).
In 2018, he was unanimously elected as the state president of the then-undivided NCP, replacing Sunil Tatkare.
(With PTI inputs)
