Why did NCP(SP) dissolve its 22-member spokesperson panel?

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) dissolved its whole panel of 22 spokespersons as part of an organisational overhaul. State unit chief Shashikant Shinde cancelled all spokespersons’ appointments via a press note late yesterday. Former MLC Vidya Chavan and party leader Mahesh Tapase will serve as the party’s spokespersons until new appointments are made, he said.

"With the approval of the party's Provincial President and former Minister Hon. Shri. Shashikant Shinde, effective immediately from today, August 4, 2026, all previous appointments to the position of party spokesperson are hereby canceled until further orders,” NCP (SP) announced on X.

"Furthermore, during this period, former MLA Hon. Smt. Vidya Chavan and Shri. Mahesh Tapase will represent the party's official stance before the media as the party's authorised spokespersons. All concerned parties should take note of this.”

The decision was reportedly taken to improve the party's public outreach as the NCP (SP) was apparently unhappy with the performance of its spokespersons. It comes at a time when Shinde is conducting a statewide tour to assess the party’s functioning at the grassroots level.

Earlier, as part of its organisational overhaul, Shinde appointed Sushil Borde as president of the NCP (SP)’s student wing, Vishal Wakadkar as the chief of the youth wing and Ram Rathod as the head of its teachers' cell.

It has been turbulent times for Maharashtra politics in general and NCP in particular. Amid reports that the NCP (SP) would consider joining the ruling NDA government in the state, Sharad Pawar, late in July, had categorically rejected reports of a possible merger between the two NCP factions, declaring that there is "no question" of the split camps joining hands.

The Sunetra Pawar-led NCP faction, on the other hand, is at loggerheads with the Maharashtra Congress over a social media post that referred to her as "gungi gudiya" (silent doll).

"When the time comes, I will give a fitting reply," Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar told reporters yesterday.

The remark drew sharp criticism from the ruling NCP and its alliance partners. NCP leaders, including its working president Praful Patel, condemned the remark as derogatory and disrespectful towards a woman leader.

“It was unfortunate and condemnable that the Congress had used such language against a woman leader despite the party being led by women leaders, such as Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi,” Patel said in a statement. The former Union minister demanded that the Congress immediately delete the post and issue a public apology.