In a major organisational initiative taken 12 days after he resumed his office as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, Sharad Pawar appointed the party’s in-charge for various regions to supervise the preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Maharashtra.
In another organisational change, the NCP leadership also announced its decision to replace all such district and taluka presidents who have completed a term of three years. “These changes would be carried out at the NCP’s anniversary conference to be held at Ahmednagar on June 10,” a senior party leader said. At a meeting held at the Yashwantrao Centre in south Mumbai where the party leaders discussed the political situation in various parts of state, Pawar said that his party would contest Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)—comprising NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress – and asked party leaders to work for success of all three parties.
As part of the efforts to strengthen the party at the booth-level, Pawar appointed 18 leaders to micro-manage the party’s affairs at the district and taluka levels across the state.
Of the 18 nominated leaders, there are seven regional heads. They comprise: Anil Deshmukh (Vidarfbha—Nagpur region), Rajendra Shingane (Vidarbha—Armavati region), Jitendra Awhad (Konkan region – Thane and Palghar), Dhananjay Munde (Nashik and Ahmednagar), Shashikant Shinde (Western Maharashtra –Satara and Sangli), Sunil Shelke (western Maharashtra —Pune) and Ashok Shelar (Western Maharashtra –Kolhapur). Among other things, the NCP decided to celebrate in a big way the 349th anniversary of the coronation ceremony of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj across the state on June 6.
Apart from Pawar who presided, state President Jayant Patil, Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar, party leaders like Praful Patel, Supriya Sule, Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Sunil Tatkare, Fauzia Khan were present at the first core-group meeting held after the Congress’ spectacular victory in Karnataka Assembly polls.