A significant political turmoil seems to be stirring within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under the leadership of Sunetra Pawar, as Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut suggests an impending split and a wave of defections to the ruling BJP. The crisis emerged following the unfortunate demise of Ajit Pawar on January 28, 2026, and has escalated amidst a power struggle involving newly appointed party head Sunetra Pawar and senior figures Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare.
During a media briefing on Friday, Raut raised concerns about the future of the party, stating, “The NCP is on the brink of disintegration. Nearly 25 to 30 NCP MLAs are poised to switch to the BJP.” He also warned of potential defections from Eknath Shinde’s faction in Shiv Sena to the BJP, particularly highlighting Girish Mahajan’s expected move with the Jalgaon MLAs.
Raut’s comments come amid mounting tensions within the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP. The discord originated when Patel and Tatkare purportedly sought revisions to the party’s constitution to elevate the Executive President’s authority to that of the national president. Their proposal, submitted to the Election Commission on February 16, 2026, sparked a sharp reaction from Sunetra Pawar.
On March 10, Sunetra Pawar penned a letter to the poll panel urging them to dismiss the earlier entreaty. Notably, she omitted the official titles of both Patel and Tatkare in her correspondence. Her election as the national president at a Mumbai convention on February 26 solidified her power but also widened internal rifts.
Amid speculations of marginalization, Sunetra Pawar’s Delhi visit from April 1 without Patel and Tatkare fueled uncertainties. Though Parth Pawar refuted claims of sidelining as “unfounded” publicly, internal sources suggest lingering unease. Efforts by senior leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde to mediate have reportedly failed to resolve the conflict, with the Pawar faction remaining skeptical.
A fresh controversy arose at a recent party function where banners excluded images of Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar, prominently featuring only Tatkare and his family. While this incident triggered allegations of an internal power struggle, Aditi Tatkare later clarified it as a localized mistake and offered an apology.
With Raut’s forecast of a potential split and defections, particularly from Jalgaon, the NCP confronts a period of profound uncertainty. The ability of the leadership to address the crisis or the likelihood of the party fracturing, as cautioned, is poised to influence Maharashtra’s political landscape in the forthcoming weeks.