Seat-Sharing Talks Erode Ajit Pawar’s Influence Within the Alliance

As the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections draw near, Ajit Pawar, the President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), faces a significant challenge

Ajit Pawar navigating tricky seat-sharing talks within the Mahayuti alliance. The negotiation process for seat-sharing in any political alliance is often fraught with complications, as each party aims to secure the maximum number of seats and critical constituencies. These discussions frequently lead to disagreements and dissatisfaction among leaders whose political aspirations are dashed in the final deal. Ajit is currently grappling with a series of defections from his faction of the NCP, many of which have occurred just before the election announcement. Over half a dozen NCP leaders, including prominent figures, have left Ajit’s side and returned to his uncle Sharad Pawar’s camp, complicating his position ahead of the polls. One of the most significant losses for Ajit was Sanjeevraje Naik-Nimbalkar, the Satara unit chief, who rejoined Sharad Pawar’s NCP. The Naik-Nimbalkar family holds considerable influence in Satara, making Sanjeevraje’s defection a substantial setback.

Another prominent leader who left Ajit Pawar was Deepak Chavan, the legislator from Phaltan, along with several other influential leaders. Both Chavan and Sanjeevraje Naik-Nimbalkar had previously joined Ajit during his rebellion against Sharad in July 2023 but have now expressed discomfort with the current Mahayuti alliance. Adding to Ajit’s challenges, more defections are likely, with several leaders, including NCP’s Baban Shinde and Vilas Lande, aligning themselves with Sharad Pawar’s camp. Ajit Pawar has also faced internal setbacks in his stronghold of Pimpri-Chinchwad, where his party’s city chief and two corporators resigned to join Sharad’s NCP. These defections are primarily attributed to dissatisfaction over seat-sharing arrangements within the alliance, as many leaders were disappointed that their desired constituencies were being allocated to other coalition partners. As he struggles with internal fractures and discontent, the defections have further strained his ability to rally his faction in the upcoming elections.