Maharashtra's NCP (SP) party hands leadership to Shashikant Shinde

Maharashtra's NCP (SP) party hands leadership to Shashikant Shinde

In a significant move for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, Shashikant Shinde has been appointed as the new state president. The announcement was made by party founder Sharad Pawar in a meeting of the state executive committee.

Shashikant Shinde, a prominent politician affiliated with the Sharad Pawar faction (NCP SP), hails from the Koregaon Assembly constituency in Satara district. He is known for his steadfast loyalty to Sharad Pawar since the party's inception in 1999 and has made a name for himself as a low-key, non-controversial leader from Western Maharashtra.

Shashikant Shinde's political journey began in 1999 when he won his first assembly election from the Jawali constituency. He went on to serve as a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (MLA) for four consecutive terms, including two terms from Jaoli and two terms from Koregaon. Notably, he defeated senior leader Shalinitai Patil in 2009 during his tenure in Koregaon.

Shashikant Shinde held the position of Maharashtra Water Resources Minister from June 2013 to September 2014 during the Congress-NCP government under Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. However, he lost his seat in the 2019 assembly elections to Shiv Sena’s Mahesh Shinde.

In 2019 and 2024, Shashikant Shinde contested the Satara parliamentary seat as a Maha Vikas Aghadi candidate and later as an NCP (SP) candidate but was defeated both times by BJP's Udayanraje Bhosale. In May 2020, he was elected as a Member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) and serves as the chief whip of the NCP (SP) faction.

The appointment of Shashikant Shinde as the state president of the NCP (SP) was unanimously approved by the core committee, which includes Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, Harshvardhan Patil, Rohit Pawar, and Rajesh Tope. Amol Kolhe, a party MP, seconded the proposal, along with Uttam Jankar, an MLA, and former MLA Sunil Bhusara.

Jayant Patil, the outgoing NCP (SP) state president, clarified that he would remain in the party even though he does not have any post. He stated that he has been working as the state unit chief for 2,633 days and will follow the instructions given by Sharad Pawar.

Shashikant Shinde was elected as the new state president of NCP (SP) in Mumbai amid slogans by his supporters. He stated that he will deliver the tasks assigned to him and plans to tour across the state for a month. His leadership aims to rejuvenate the party by focusing on youth leadership and challenging the ruling government, with a commitment to restoring the NCP’s influence in Maharashtra politics.

Shashikant Shinde is respected for his grassroots connection to the Mathadi workers' community, which shaped his political identity. As an influential leader of the Mathadi Kamgar, he is seen as a symbol of the party’s effort to regain its traditional strongholds and re-energize the organization.

Despite his recent defeat in the 2019 and 2024 parliamentary elections, Shashikant Shinde's consistent loyalty to Sharad Pawar and his grassroots connection with the Mathadi workers' community have been recognized, leading to his appointment as the new state president of the NCP (SP) in Mumbai. His leadership focuses on youth engagement, challenging the ruling government, and revitalizing the NCP's influence in Maharashtra politics, particularly in the context of war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, politics, general-news, and migration.

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