Sharad Pawar, NCP supremo, on the party’s 24th foundation day made two important announcements from Delhi on Saturday – Supriya Sule and Praful Patel will now operate as the working presidents of the party. This is the first time that the NCP will have the post of ‘working president’.
As the working presidents, Sule was given the responsibility of Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab whereas Patel got Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Both leaders represent the NCP in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and also have contacts across parties.
Considering his age, Pawar is of the opinion that he should delegate some responsibilities to other leaders. This decision to appoint two working presidents is a big step for Pawar but it indicates that he has started working on a plan of succession.
The first step of this plan was to delegate responsibilities that are with him to other leaders. So, by appointing two working presidents, Pawar has given them responsibilities of different states. The next step was to mentor a leader, so that after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, they run the show when Pawar steps down.
Patel has already made it clear that he is not in the running to become national president. Hence, in such a scenario, the party’s Lok Sabha face Sule is likely to take over as the national president after the all-important elections next year.
Pawar has also given the responsibility of Maharashtra to Sule, which could be a hint that she could be the next boss. She was awarded the ‘best parliamentarian’ award more than a couple of times and has good connections across all parties.
Pawar’s legacy is not only limited to state politics. His work and effort to bring together opposition parties up against the BJP at a national front was appreciated by one and all. The veteran will have similar expectations from the next national president.
In the entire scenario, however, there is still the question of his nephew Ajit Pawar as to why he was not given any responsibility. Ajit has always focused on Maharashtra and taken a lot of interest in the NCP’s growth in the state. Many times, when Ajit was asked questions on national politics, he would refuse to comment. He has made it clear that Pawar, Sule and Patel are national leaders and will react on national issues. But after Sharad Pawar, Ajit is the only leader who has got a strong hold over the party.
Top leaders are of the opinion that, considering the upcoming general elections, Sharad Pawar has made this decision as the first poll strategy. They are also hopeful that once Pawar decides on Maharashtra, Ajit will be given all the responsibilities as he is the face of the party in the state.
Party leaders also feel that Pawar has already made a natural division in the party, where Sule is looking after national politics and Ajit will be looking after state politics.
The new leadership team will work closely with Sule and Patel but both leaders have the responsibility to continue Sharad Pawar’s work and carry forward his legacy at a national level. As of now, the NCP has lost the status of a national party so to regain that status will be another task for the two new appointees.
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