Mumbai 13th July: Jayant Patil the veteran Maharashtra politician and current state president of the NCP (Sharad Pawar) finds himself at the centre of conflicting reports about his resignation from the party’s top position.
Recent media reports suggested that Jayant Patil has stepped down from his position as state president with Shashikant Shinde being his most likely successor.
Jayant Patil is the state president
Senior Party Leader and MLA Jitendra Awhad clarified that “Jayant Patil is the state president. The news of his resignation is nothing but mischief.”
मा. जयंत पाटील साहेब हे प्रदेशाध्यक्ष आहेत. त्यांच्या राजीनाम्याच्या बातम्या प्रसारीत होणे , हा निव्वळ खोडसाळपणा आहे. पक्ष एका नियमानुसार अन् शिस्तीनुसारच चालत असतो.@PawarSpeaks @supriya_sule @Jayant_R_Patil
— Dr.Jitendra Awhad (@Awhadspeaks) July 12, 2025
Confusion stems from statement made by Jayant Patil himself during the NCP’s 26th Foundation event in Pune, where he suggested that “it is important for the party to give a chance to new faces”.
Rohit Pawar gave a statement saying that “I have expressed a desire to get some small post, but not the position of the state president of the party”.
Reacting to the reports, Shashikant Shinde looked as the front runner for the top post said that “If given a chance, I will stand shoulder to shoulder with other leaders to strengthen the party and fight for the public cause. I will work on the lines of late RR Patil when he was the party state chief”
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Since April 2018, Jayant Patil has led the NCP even after the party split with Ajit Pawar taking away sizable number of MLAs and joining the BJP led government. It is rumoured that relations between Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil were not on the best terms as both leaders eyed the top position in the government if the party came to power.
Although Ajit Pawar left Sharad Pawar, Jayant Patil continued to hold the post of state president of the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP. It was his under his leadership that the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections were held. The NCP Sharad Pawar faction had a commendable strike rate by successfully winning 8 Lok Sabha seats out of the 10 contested. However, the strike rate dropped considerably with the party winning only 10 MLA seats in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections.
Speculation about Jayant Patil’s resignation comes at a crucial time when the local body election is just around the corner. The party will be holding it’s General Body Meeting in Mumbai on the 15th July and party insiders hint at probable change in the state leadership of the party paving the way for the appointment of Shashikant Shinde as party president in a democratic way in front of party veteran Sharad Pawar.
(With inputs from Trinity D’silva)
