Pawar struggles: parties in flux

I n Maharashtra, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is at a crossroads. The party, which was formed by Sharad Pawar in 1999, has been a strong regional force, being in power for 20 of the 27 years of its existence, in alliance with parties across the ideological spectrum. Its split in 2023 led to a majority of the leaders and cadre turning to Ajit Pawar, who had joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He claimed ownership of the original party, which the top court eventually ratified. Sharad Pawar was thus left with only a fraction of the party’s strength, and had to float a new party named the NCP-SP (Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar). He now looks to his daughter Supriya Sule to lead the party, as a young and comparatively inexperienced grand-nephew, Rohit Pawar, tries to flex his muscles in Baramati and beyond. Away from power, the cadre and its leaders are in a state of disarray.