Ajit Pawar's biggest headache ahead of Maharashtra elections? Tricky seat-sharing talks

NCP leader and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar

The seat-sharing process among the partners of a political alliance is always a tricky business. Every constituent strives to secure a bigger share. The negotiations involve not just the number of seats each party wants, but also specific constituencies that the parties intend to contest. Such negotiations often turn acrimonious and lead to the disgruntlement of those whose aspirations are dashed by the final agreement. Ajit Pawar, the NCP President, is bearing the brunt of this sensitive process, as many of his loyalists have quit the party and joined rival factions.

Just before the announcement of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls, over half a dozen NCP leaders switched from the NCP to rival parties, with most returning to his uncle Sharad Pawar’s camp. One notable departure that jolted Ajit Pawar was Sanjeevraje Naik-Nimbalkar, the Satara unit chief of the NCP. Last Monday, he left Ajit Pawar’s party and rejoined Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP). Sanjeevraje is the younger brother of party stalwart and legislator Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar, who remains in the party but has refused to participate in the election campaign. The royal Naik-Nimbalkar family holds considerable clout in Satara and adjacent areas, and Sanjeevraje’s return has boosted the prospects of Sharad Pawar’s NCP.

Another significant departure was Deepak Chavan, the legislator from the Phaltan constituency in Western Maharashtra. Both Naik-Nimbalkar and Chavan had joined Ajit Pawar when he rebelled against his uncle in July 2023. In announcing their decisions to leave Ajit Pawar, both claimed they were uncomfortable within the current Mahayuti alliance.

In addition to these two, several other leaders have left the NCP in recent weeks to return to Sharad Pawar. Recently, NCP’s Baban Shinde, a six-time legislator from the Madha constituency, met with Sharad Pawar, fueling speculation that he too is leaving Ajit Pawar. Former legislator Vilas Lande, who had aligned with Ajit Pawar, has now declared his support for the NCP (SP). Ajit Pawar also faced a setback in his bastion, Pimpri-Chinchwad, when his party’s city chief, Ajit Gavhane, along with two corporators, resigned and joined Sharad Pawar’s NCP.

Additionally, Sharad Pawar has recently inducted Harshawardhan Patil, a BJP stalwart, into his party and plans to field him from Indapur, which is currently held by Ajit Pawar’s MLA. Several other leaders from NCP (Ajit Pawar) and the BJP have met with Sharad Pawar and are likely to join his party in the coming week.

Many leaders from NCP (Ajit Pawar) and the BJP who have joined Sharad Pawar were disgruntled with the seat-sharing arrangements within the Mahayuti alliance. They decided to leave their respective parties upon learning that the seats they intended to contest were being allocated to coalition partners. These defections have landed Ajit Pawar in hot water, as he seeks to rebound after a dismal performance in the Lok Sabha polls.