Sunetra Pawar faces first big test in NCP candidate selection

Sunetra Pawar faces a crucial test in selecting the NCP candidate for Maharashtra Legislative Council polls amid internal pressure and factional loyalties. The decision is seen as key to asserting her leadership and balancing competing interests within the party

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sunetra Pawar faces an acid test in the selection of party nominee for the upcoming biennial election to the Maharashtra Legislative Council slated for May 12.

She is tasked with picking up a candidate weathering the favouritism and pressure from veteran and experienced party leaders.

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She is expected to choose between those who are merely vocal in the party and those who have remained steadfastly loyal.

NCP sources suggest that several Ministers and MLAs within the party are pushing for a candidate who has been exceptionally loyal to the former Deputy Chief Minister late Ajit Pawar.

The list of aspirants are many which include former legislator Rajendra Jain (a staunch supporter of Praful Patel); Aniket Tatkare, former legislator and son of State NCP President Sunil Tatkare; former MP Anand Paranjpe, who joined the NCP after quitting the Shiv Sena and sided with Ajit Pawar following the party’s split; Umesh Patil, known for frequent party shifts, initially joined Ajit Pawar after the party’s split but moved to the Sharad Pawar faction after their strong 2024 Lok Sabha performance, where he heavily criticised Ajit Pawar.

Following the Ajit Pawar faction’s success in the Maharashtra Assembly elections and their participation in the MahaYuti-led NDA government, Umesh Patil rejoined the Ajit Pawar’s NCP.

Vikram Kakade, son of former BJP MP Sanjay Kakade.

Sunil Tingre, former legislator who hogged the headlines during the controversy following the Pune Porsche car accident case and subsequently lost his seat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Zeeshan Siddique, a former NCP MLA and the son of late Baba Siddiqui.

Internal party sentiment, particularly among Ministers and MLAs, favours a leader who has remained loyal to both the NCP and Ajit Pawar’s family.

Consequently, the final selection will be a major test for Sunetra Pawar and her son and Rajya Sabha member Parth Pawar.

Observers are keen to see if they will prioritise long-term loyalty or succumb to political pressure from influential factions.

The mother-son duo (referring to Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar) recently endured an unpleasant incident within the party organisation after the succession of Sunetra Pawar at the helm of the NCP.

Sunetra Pawar’s letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking to nullify all the correspondence between the period of death of her husband Ajit Pawar and she taking over the party, sparked the debates of her distrust on State NCP President Sunil Tatkare and NCP’s National Working President Praful Patel.

The upcoming council election is seen as an opportunity for the Pawars to reassert their supremacy within the party’s decision-making and to send a message that loyalty will be rewarded.

“Loyalty is a key criterion. Those who stood with Ajit dada at the time of all his important political decisions and stand close to Pawar family are likely to be the first choice. In addition, Sunetra Pawar will be making a real political choice for the first time since taking over the NCP’s responsibility,” a senior NCP Minister said.

The party faced a crisis situation during the fake godman Ashok Kharat incident where NCP leader and the then State Women’s Commission Chief Rupali Chakankar turned out to be his close aide.

However, with Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis stepping in, Sunetra Pawar did not have to make a political decision of asking Rupali Chakankar to resign from NCP.

With Parth Pawar going to Rajya Sabha, that issue, too, was taken care of without political implications. As a result, the selection of NCP candidate for the State Legislative Council will be Sunetra Pawar’s first political test where Parth Pawar, too, will be closely involved.

Last week, the Election Commission of India announced biennial elections to nine seats of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, to be held on May 12.

These seats will be filled by the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).

In a 288-member Assembly, a quota of 29 votes is required for a candidate to be elected to the Legislative Council.

Given the current strength of the Mahayuti alliance — comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (131 MLAs), Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena (57 MLAs), and Ajit Pawar’s NCP (40 MLAs) — eight of their candidates can be elected. While BJP can elect five MLCs and Shiv Sena two. The NCP can elect one MLC.

On the other hand, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has a total strength of 46, which means only one of their candidates can secure a win.