NCP will disintegrate soon: Sanjay Raut warns of legislators' defection to BJP
Sunetra Pawar's election as NCP chief in February further consolidated her authority but also deepened fault lines within the party, providing the grounds for Raut's claims.
A major political storm appears to be brewing within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sunetra Pawar, with Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleging an imminent split and large-scale defections to the ruling BJP. The crisis follows Ajit Pawar’s death on January 28, 2026, and has intensified amid a power struggle between newly appointed party chief Sunetra Pawar and senior leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Raut issued a stark warning about the party’s future, claiming, "The NCP is going to break up in near future. It will disintegrate into many pieces. Around 25 to 30 NCP MLAs are all set to join the BJP".
"Similarly, a large section of the MLAs who are with Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) right now will also jump the ship to the BJP. Girish Mahajan will take almost every single one of Jalgaon MLAs with him to the BJP," he warned.
Raut’s remarks come against the backdrop of escalating tensions within the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP.
The conflict began after Patel and Tatkare reportedly sought amendments to the party constitution to grant the Executive President powers on par with the national president.
On February 16, 2026, the duo approached the Election Commission with this proposal, triggering a sharp response from Sunetra Pawar.
On March 10, Sunetra Pawar wrote to the poll panel urging it to disregard the earlier request.
In a move seen as significant, she omitted the official designations of both Patel and Tatkare in her communication.
Her election as national president at a February 26 convention in Mumbai further consolidated her authority but also deepened fault lines within the party.
Speculation of sidelining gained traction after Sunetra Pawar embarked on a Delhi tour from April 1 without Patel and Tatkare.
While Parth Pawar, Ajit and Sunetra Pawar’s son publicly dismissed such claims as “baseless,” internal sources suggest persistent unease.
Mediation efforts involving senior leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde have reportedly failed to resolve the dispute, with the Pawar camp remaining unconvinced.
Further controversy erupted at a recent party event where banners excluded images of Ajit Pawar and Sunetra Pawar, featuring only Tatkare and his family.
The incident fuelled allegations of an internal power grab, though Aditi Tatkare later termed it a local-level error and apologised.
With Raut predicting a breakup and potential defections—particularly from Jalgaon—the NCP faces a period of deep uncertainty. Whether the leadership can contain the crisis or if the party will indeed fragment, as warned, is likely to shape Maharashtra’s political landscape in the coming weeks.