Three years since coming to power, is Ajit Pawar's NCP staring at free fall?

Key points

• Close to three years after it split from the parent organisation and rode to power, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar seems to be on the verge of yet another turbulence as the Pawar family is seen as cementing control while sidelining senior leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare.
• What has intensified the speculation are reports of a purported audio clip in which a senior NCP leader is badmouthing the late party supremo Ajit Pawar (while he was alive), as well as claims of Patel and Tatkare meeting NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Sharad Pawar.
• Read Full Story Ajit and his supporters had split the undivided NCP in July 2023 to join the Mahayuti government, then headed by Eknath Shinde.
• Ajit was made deputy chief minister after the switchover.
• Sunetra took over as deputy chief minister on January 31 this year within days of...