The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday appointed Zeeshan Siddique as the new president of its Mumbai unit, signalling what appears to be the beginning of wider organisational changes led by Parth Pawar, son of party president Sunetra Pawar. Parth is handpicking leaders for key positions as he seeks to reshape the party’s organisational structure and take complete control of the ruling outfit.
However, Siddique’s appointment was also mired in controversy as Siddharth Kamble, working president of Mumbai NCP, resigned from his post in protest. Shrivastav has also sent a letter to the party president, Sunetra Pawar, appealing to her to withdraw the decision. It is believed that five of the NCP’s nine ministers are going to be replaced with fresh faces. Over the past few months, the NCP has appointed Vaishali Nagawade as president of its Maharashtra women’s wing, Nikhil Thakare as state youth wing president and Nirmala Nawale as state president of the Yuvati Congress. Ankush Kakade has also been appointed as an MLC. Party sources say these appointments are part of a series of organisational changes being driven by Parth Pawar, who is believed to have handpicked the leaders for these key positions.
His father and former minister Baba Siddique was shot dead on October 12, 2024, outside Zeeshan Siddique’s party office. “The decision taken by the National Working Committee can be changed by calling the National Working Committee’s meeting by issuing a 90-day notice, according to the constitutional provisions of the NCP.
Kamble said he had sought the Mumbai unit president’s position from the then NCP president, Ajit Pawar, who had assured him that his request would be considered. “Dada passed away nine months ago, and since then, we have truly felt orphaned in his absence,” Kamble wrote in his resignation, which he sent to the Maharashtra president Sunil Tatkare on Wednesday. “… after considerable thought, I have decided to step down from the responsibility entrusted to me as Mumbai Working President,” he said and added, “Whether or not I hold a position, I will continue to serve as a loyal party worker under the guidance of the respected Sunetra Vahini and Sunil Tatkare Saheb. Despite the discontent, Parth Pawar is likely to push ahead with further changes within the party and the state cabinet, party insiders said. He is likely to roll more heads, in the party as well as in the state cabinet, the party insiders said. The party insiders said that some prominent faces may be asked to resign to make way for the new ones. “Parth Pawar is planning a reshuffle of the NCP ministers in the state cabinet and wants to remove those who, according to him, are underperforming. He is keen on bringing new faces in the ministerial council, believing that they could deliver better results than the current ministers,” said an NCP insider.
