Pimpri: NCP Faces Leadership Vacuum Ahead of Assembly Elections

Pimpri-Chinchwad, 28th September 2024: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is currently facing a leadership crisis in Pimpri-Chinchwad, as the party has been without a city president for the past two months. This comes at a crucial time, with upcoming assembly elections just around the corner. Many strong contenders for the city president role are being eyed for candidacy as Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), resulting in a reluctance to fill the position.

Historically, Pimpri-Chinchwad was a bastion of NCP under Ajit Pawar, who held sway over the region. For 15 consecutive years, the party enjoyed sole control over the Municipal Corporation, exemplifying a leadership dynamic where “Dada spoke and the administration wavered.” As a result, the city president’s role was pivotal, often the subject of intense competition. However, following Ajit Pawar’s decision to align with the BJP, many former party leaders have distanced themselves from NCP, particularly after the party’s significant defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.

Ajit Gavane, who aimed to contest the assembly elections from Bhosari, resigned from his position as city president on July 16, 2024. Subsequently, many former corporators joined Sharad Pawar’s faction of the NCP in search of better political prospects.

In response to the party’s declining fortunes, Ajit Pawar convened a meeting with former corporators to address the leadership vacuum. Although several names have been suggested for the city president role, including Pimpri MLA Anna Bansode, former mayor Yogesh Behl, Jagdish Shetty, Nana Kate, and Bhausaheb Bhoir, no appointment has been made yet. Bansode is preparing to contest the assembly elections, while there are calls for Behl to be appointed as a MLC. Meanwhile, both Kate and Bhoir are poised to run in the Chinchwad elections, contributing to the hesitation in accepting the city president position.

The lack of a city president as the assembly elections approach has caused dissatisfaction among party members, who feel the need for decisive leadership to guide their efforts. There are growing frustrations among NCP workers, who seek not just a captain but also someone to actively engage in the electoral battle.

As the party’s national president and deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar has to focus on state-level issues. Consequently, his son, Parth Pawar, has been given responsibility for the Pimpri-Chinchwad region. Parth has been regularly visiting the city to assess organizational matters, even touring local mandals during Ganeshotsav. Recently, he remarked that while the city president’s position is significant, all office bearers share the same level of importance in the party.