Mumbai, April 22: Sunetra Pawar, the newly appointed chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, is confronting her most significant political challenge yet — choosing the party's nominee for the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) biennial elections scheduled for May 12. The selection process is being watched closely as it will reveal whether the Pawar family can assert independent authority over the party's internal machinery or remain susceptible to pressure from entrenched factions.

A Crowded Field of Aspirants

The race for the NCP's single MLC seat has attracted a long list of contenders, each backed by powerful internal lobbies. Among the prominent names in contention are Rajendra Jain, a former legislator and staunch supporter of Praful Patel; and Aniket Tatkare, a former MLA and son of State NCP President Sunil Tatkare.

Also in the running is Anand Paranjpe, a former MP who migrated from Shiv Sena to NCP following the party's vertical split and aligned with the Ajit Pawar faction. Umesh Patil, known for his political flip-flops — initially joining Ajit Pawar's camp after the split, then switching to the Sharad Pawar faction after the latter's strong showing in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and eventually returning to Ajit Pawar's NCP after the Maharashtra Assembly election victory — is also a key aspirant.

Other contenders include Vikram Kakade, son of former BJP MP Sanjay Kakade; Sunil Tingre, a former legislator who gained notoriety during the Pune Porsche car accident controversy and subsequently lost his Assembly seat; and Zeeshan Siddique, former NCP MLA and son of the late Baba Siddiqui.

Loyalty vs. Political Pragmatism: The Core Dilemma

Party insiders confirm that the dominant sentiment among NCP ministers and MLAs favours a candidate who has demonstrated unwavering loyalty to both the NCP and the Pawar family. "Loyalty is a key criterion. Those who stood with Ajit dada at the time of all his important political decisions and stand close to the Pawar family are likely to be the first choice," a senior NCP minister told NationPress.

The minister added that this will mark Sunetra Pawar's first genuine political decision since assuming the NCP's top post, with her son and Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar expected to be deeply involved in the final call. Observers are keenly watching whether the mother-son duo will prioritise long-term loyalty or bow to pressure from influential factions led by veterans like Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare.

Internal Fault Lines and the Tatkare-Patel Shadow

The candidate selection comes against the backdrop of simmering tensions within the NCP following Sunetra Pawar's succession as party chief. Her letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) — seeking to nullify all party correspondence that transpired between the death of her husband Ajit Pawar and her formal takeover — triggered significant controversy. The move was widely interpreted as a signal of her distrust towards both Sunil Tatkare and Praful Patel, who had managed party affairs during that interregnum.

This is not the first time the Pawar family has faced internal turbulence. The party was also rattled by the fake godman Ashok Kharat episode, in which NCP leader and then-State Women's Commission Chief Rupali Chakankar was found to be closely associated with the accused. In that instance, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis intervened, sparing Sunetra Pawar from having to make the politically uncomfortable call of demanding Chakankar's resignation — effectively shielding her from a difficult first test of authority.

MLC Election Mathematics: NCP Gets One Seat

The Election Commission of India last week announced biennial elections to nine Maharashtra Legislative Council seats on May 12. These seats are filled through votes cast by Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), with a quota of 29 votes required per candidate in the 288-member Assembly.

The ruling MahaYuti alliance commands a combined strength sufficient to elect eight candidates: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with 131 MLAs can secure five MLC seats, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena with 57 MLAs can win two seats, and Ajit Pawar's NCP with 40 MLAs is entitled to one seat. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), with a combined strength of just 46 MLAs, can realistically secure only one seat.

What This Moment Reveals About NCP's Power Structure

Political analysts note that the MLC candidate selection is far more than a routine party decision — it is a litmus test for whether the Pawar family can consolidate genuine control over the NCP's organisational machinery after a turbulent period of splits, realignments, and succession battles. The NCP has been navigating choppy waters since the dramatic 2023 party split, when Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle Sharad Pawar and joined the NDA government.

Notably, the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections proved decisive for the Ajit Pawar camp, vindicating their strategic gamble and strengthening their position within the MahaYuti government. However, internal cohesion remains fragile, with multiple power centres — including the Tatkare and Patel lobbies — still capable of complicating the Pawar family's agenda.

With the May 12 election fast approaching, all eyes are on Sunetra Pawar and Parth Pawar to see if they can translate family legacy into organisational command — a move that will set the tone for NCP's internal politics well beyond this single council seat.