In a significant blow to the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), four prominent leaders from the Pimpri-Chinchwad region have resigned from the party. This mass exodus comes on the heels of the NCP’s dismal performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra and amid growing internal strife.
The departure of these leaders is particularly concerning for Ajit Pawar, whose faction is already grappling with criticism and blame for the Maharashtra BJP’s poor electoral showing. The RSS-linked magazine Organiser recently published an article attributing the BJP’s lackluster performance to its alliance with Ajit Pawar’s NCP, citing inadequate communication between party members, workers, and the NDA government in the state.
The leaders who resigned include Ajit Gavahane, president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad unit, Yash Sane, a prominent student leader, and former corporators Rahul Bhosale and Pankaj Bhalekar. These departures are a clear indication of the internal dissent and dissatisfaction within Ajit Pawar’s camp.
Ajit Gavahane, in his statement to ANI, expressed his discontent with the current state of affairs under Ajit Pawar’s leadership. “I resigned yesterday and today we will have a meeting with all ex-corporators of another Vidhan Sabha constituency. We will accordingly decide our upcoming strategy. We are going to take blessings of Pawar Sahab (Sharad Pawar). We will make a decision together,” Gavahane stated, emphasizing a possible shift in allegiance to Sharad Pawar’s faction.
Gavahane also alleged that since 2017, the BJP’s influence in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) had stalled development projects, further straining the relationship between local leaders and the current administration.
This wave of resignations has fueled speculation about a potential reconciliation between some leaders in Ajit Pawar’s camp and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. With the Maharashtra assembly polls on the horizon, such realignments could significantly impact the political landscape. Sharad Pawar, in a statement earlier in June, had asserted that while the doors were closed to those who sought to weaken his party, leaders capable of strengthening the organization without tarnishing its image would be welcomed.
Ajit Pawar’s faction managed to secure only one out of four contested Lok Sabha seats, specifically Raigad, whereas Sharad Pawar’s faction won eight seats in Maharashtra. The upcoming assembly elections will be a critical test for Ajit Pawar, who must now navigate the challenges of internal dissent and external criticism to maintain his political foothold.