The power games in NCP

Ajit Pawar, nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, is vying for control of the Maharashtra state unit of the party, which would give him the power to decide who gets assembly election tickets. His move comes after Supriya Sule was made party working president with control over the panel that decides party candidates. The power struggle within the NCP could intensify as the 2024 elections draw near. Meanwhile, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's Bharat Rashtra Samiti is trying to build a base in Maharashtra, with speculation of a new front comprising the BRS, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and AIMIM.

If Ajit Pawar’s speech at the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) foundation day function, made in the presence of Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule, is any indication, the ambitious nephew of the party chief appears to be determined to achieve what he wants: the chief ministership.

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He wants the control of the state unit of the party, which would mean he could decide whom to give tickets to for the assembly elections. This would mean most of the MLAs would stand by him, if and when needed. His latest move comes close on the heels of Supriya Sule’s elevation as party’s working president and her being given the responsibility of Maharashtra along with the control of party’s panel that decides the party candidates. Ajit has also queered the pitch for his bete noire and state NCP chief Jayant Patil.

By staking claim for the state unit chief’s post, Ajit has made it clear that he doesn’t want Patil to continue. Most of the seniors, who had supported his idea to join hands with the BJP, seem to be still with him even after the party has accepted senior Pawar’s stand that they should stick with the MVA.

Soon after Ajit’s training guns on Patil, senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal made a pitch for an OBC leader to be given one of the two posts — state unit president or opposition leader in the assembly — which is currently occupied by Ajit.

According to the Ajit camp, Bhujbal’s demand is also aimed at opposing any move to put Patil as the opposition leader in the assembly if Ajit is made the state unit chief. An aide also said Ajit has started identifying candidates for the next assembly elections, who would remain loyal to him in future. The power tussle within the NCP seems to be far from over with Pawar’s resignation and Sule’s elevation. In fact, it may get intense as the 2024 elections come closer.

A new front taking shape?

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) is making a big push to enter Maharashtra’s political arena. For the past few months, KCR (as he is called in political circles) has been trying to rope in several leaders and former legislators in a bid to build a base for his party in the state.

Looking at the way the advertisement campaign aimed at Maharashtra is run and the way rallies are being organised, a lot of resources are being used by the BRS. KCR is pitching for a Telangana style “farmers rule” in Maharashtra and trying to get attention (and votes) of farmers, especially in central and western Maharashtra —the regions where the NCP and Congress are looking to improve their chances in next elections.

On Tuesday, KCR will be visiting Pandharpur’s famous Vithal temple, which is popular among farmers in Maharashtra. Earlier this week, while speaking at a party function, Ajit warned the party colleagues about the BRS’ plans for Maharashtra. Parties like the BRS and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) cannot be taken lightly. They could walk away with a chunk of votes and damage MVA candidates, he pointed out.

Significantly, KCR had invited Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar to Telangana recently, fuelling the talk of a new front taking shape in the state. There are speculations that the front would comprise of the BRS, the VBA and Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). There are also speculations that some smaller parties could join them.

The VBA had announced plans of an alliance with Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), but Ambedkar wants to be part of the MVA while Congress and the NCP leaders do not trust him. If the BRS-led front takes shape, it would be a serious problem for the MVA. Such a front could make a dent in their votes.

Pankaja’s battles

These days, Pankaja Munde seems to have adopted a basic principle in politics: One has to do away with smaller battles if a bigger battle is to be won. Sidelined in her party, the BJP, for almost four years, Pankaja has decided to be aggressive about her political future. And before that she decided to end an almost decade-long enmity with her cousin, Dhananjay Munde, who had defeated her in the last assembly elections, which turned out to be a major setback for her.

Pankaja and Dhananjay were on a warpath since her father chose her as his successor. Most of the time she was busy with the local-level politics in Beed district with her and Dhananjay trying to outsmart each other. Sometime ago, following the intervention of a local religious leader, both the siblings decided to bury their hatchet and work together.

Pankaja is also likely to shift to another assembly constituency where she has better prospects. Having settled the local problem, she seems to be now setting sight on her next task. She criticised the state BJP leadership but said her leader was Union home minister Amit Shah and she would meet him to decide the future course of action.

This week, she was seen holding meetings of the party workers and addressing public rallies in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, where she is co in-charge of party organisation. This only means two things. Either she has decided to improve her standing in the party by doing the work assigned to her or she is just waiting for the right time for the next move.