The meeting of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar and her son Parth Pawar with political strategist-turned-Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor, held in Mumbai Monday, may have been described officially by the NCP as a “courtesy interaction”, but within party circles this meeting has sparked a fresh round of speculation over leadership, control and its future direction.
What amplified this buzz was not merely the meeting itself, but the manner in which Parth chose to publicise it. In a social media post, Parth described Kishor as someone with a “deep understanding of politics and society” and said their discussion covered “various issues related to the country, state and organisation”. “He (Kishor) has known us since Dada’s (Ajit Pawar’s) time. Yesterday, he was in town (Mumbai), so we had the pleasure of hosting him at home for lunch and some insightful conversation,” Parth wrote.
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Seeking to dismiss speculation about Kishor formally joining hands with the NCP, Parth added: “Regarding some speculation about him working with NCP, let me set the record straight. To the best of my knowledge, it has been a few years since he quit the political advisory space. I don’t see that changing but I can assure all those who are interested that we are and will always be available for each other wherever needed.”
The post was widely circulated in political circles and triggered chatter within the NCP, particularly because the meeting came at a time when the party continues to grapple with internal uncertainty following its split and subsequent political realignment in Maharashtra.
Kishor also said that he was not working with the NCP. “I have quit that space in 2021 and am happy doing what I have been doing in Bihar since then,” he told The Indian Express.
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Kishor’s association with the Pawar family is not new. According to sources, he had met leaders of the Opposition NCP (SP) at party chief Sharad Pawar’s Delhi residence ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, the NCP patriarch eventually decided against engaging Kishor’s services for the party.
Political strategist Naresh Arora of DesignBoxed had earlier worked for the NCP during the 2024 Assembly elections. Party sources said it was Parth who had pushed for Arora’s appointment. Arora is credited with suggesting Ajit Pawar’s now widely recognised “pink jacket” campaign linked to the state government’s flagship Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme for women beneficiaries.
Since then, Arora’s association with the NCP has reportedly remained intermittent, with the party eventually deciding to discontinue his services.
Meeting optics
An NCP section interpreted the optics of the Monday meeting as an attempt by the Sunetra-Parth camp to signal that they are building an independent political and organisational strategy for the future. The perception, according to party insiders, has caused discomfort among several senior party leaders outside the camp.
This unease is rooted in the churn that has been underway in the NCP over the past few years. Since the undivided NCP’s split by Ajit Pawar in 2023, his wife Sunetra and, more recently, Parth have increasingly emerged as central figures in the party’s organisational and political decision-making.
While their supporters project the development as part of a generational transition within the party, several senior leaders privately acknowledge disquiet over the expanding role of the younger leadership.
These tensions had surfaced earlier during disputes over organisational appointments, candidate selection and communication with the Election Commission (EC), with senior leaders such as Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare being perceived to be getting sidelined.
Against this backdrop, Sunetra-Parth’s meeting with Kishor has assumed greater political significance.
Although Kishor is currently focused on Bihar through his Jan Suraaj Party, he continues to wield influence in national political circles. Within the NCP, some leaders now view the Sunetra-Parth outreach as part of a broader attempt to recalibrate the party’s image and strategy ahead of local body elections and future Assembly contests.
Some others within the party, however, insist that too much should not be read into Monday’s “personal meeting”.