A significant political turmoil seems to be brewing within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under the leadership of Sunetra Pawar, as Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has raised concerns about a potential split and widespread defections to the ruling BJP. The crisis comes in the aftermath of Ajit Pawar’s passing on January 28, 2026, and has escalated amid a power struggle involving newly appointed party chief Sunetra Pawar and senior leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare.
During a media briefing on Friday, Raut issued a stark warning regarding the party’s future, stating, “The NCP is on the verge of fragmentation. It is likely to splinter into multiple factions, with approximately 25 to 30 NCP MLAs gearing up to switch sides to the BJP.” He also cautioned, “Likewise, a considerable number of MLAs currently aligned with Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) are expected to defect to the BJP. Girish Mahajan is poised to take nearly all Jalgaon MLAs with him to the BJP.”
Raut’s statements come amidst escalating tensions within the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP. The discord originated when Patel and Tatkare reportedly proposed amendments to the party’s constitution to confer Executive President powers equivalent to those of the national president. On February 16, 2026, the duo submitted this proposal to the Election Commission, eliciting a strong reaction from Sunetra Pawar.
Subsequently, on March 10, Sunetra Pawar wrote to the poll panel urging it to dismiss the earlier request. Notably, she refrained from using the official titles of both Patel and Tatkare in her communication. Her election as national president during a convention in Mumbai on February 26 bolstered her authority but also exacerbated divisions within the party.
Speculation about sidelining gained momentum after Sunetra Pawar embarked on a visit to Delhi from April 1 without Patel and Tatkare. Despite public dismissal of these claims as “unfounded” by Parth Pawar, son of Ajit and Sunetra Pawar, internal sources indicate persistent unease. Mediation attempts involving senior leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde reportedly failed to resolve the conflict, with the Pawar faction remaining skeptical.
Further controversy arose at a recent party gathering where banners excluded images of Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar, featuring only Tatkare and his family. This incident fueled allegations of an internal power struggle, although Aditi Tatkare later described it as a local-level mistake and offered an apology.
With Raut projecting a potential split and defections, particularly from Jalgaon, the NCP confronts a period of profound uncertainty. The ability of the leadership to manage the crisis or the likelihood of the party indeed fracturing, as warned, is poised to shape Maharashtra’s political landscape in the upcoming weeks.